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Quote by Louise Bourgeois

“A work of art doesn't have to be explained.”

Quote by Louise Bourgeois

Author

Louise Bourgeois

Louise Bourgeois was a French-born American sculptor, painter, and printmaker. Known for her complex sculptures that often deal with themes of family, sex, death, and fear, Bourgeois' work spans multiple artistic movements, including Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism, and Minimalism. more

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“Art is restoration: the idea is to repair the damages that are inflicted in life, to make something that is fragmented - which is what fear and anxiety do to a person - into something whole.”

Persons Art Ideas Whole Anxiety Art Is Damage Restoration Fragmented

Author:Louise Bourgeois

“When I was growing up, all the women in my house were using needles. I've always had a fascination with the needle, the magic power of the needle. The needle is used to repair damage. It's a claim to forgiveness. It is never aggressive, it's not a pin.”

Used House Growing Up Growing Magic Claims Damage Aggressive Fascination Pins Needles Magic Powers

Book:Parkett

Source: Parkett

“My work has to do with a defense against fervor. People are always in a rush. To do what? To do nothing! There is a kind of fervor that is completely meaningless. This drawing is a call for meditation.... I am an insomniac, so for me the state of being asleep is paradise. It is a paradise I can never reach. But I still try to conquer the insomnia, and to a large extent I have done it; it is conquerable. My drawings are a kind of rocking or stroking and an attempt at finding peace. Peaceful rhythm. Like rocking a baby to sleep.”

People Trying Kind Stills I Can States Done Sleep Meditation Baby Findings Defense Drawing Peaceful Rhythm Conquer Paradise Meaningless Insomnia Finding Peace Fervor Insomniac

Author:Louise Bourgeois

“Everything I do is inspired by my early life”, Bourgeois’ looked up to her mother who was the most important person in her life for many reasons, ‘Maman’ symbolizes her mother; “The friend, because my best friend was my mother and she was deliberate, clever, patient, soothing, reasonable, dainty, subtle, indispensable, neat, and as useful as a spider.”

“Everyone should have the right to marry. To make a commitment to love someone forever is a beautiful thing.”

Should Beautiful Forever Commitment Should Have Beautiful Things Love Someone

Author:Louise Bourgeois

“I always had the fear of being separated and abandoned. The sewing is my attempt to keep things together and make things whole.”

Whole Together Abandoned Sewing

Book:Louise Bourgeois: Aller-Retour : Zeichnungen und Skulpturen

Source: Louise Bourgeois: Aller-Retour : Zeichnungen und Skulpturen

“Once I was beset by anxiety but I pushed the fear away by studying the sky, determining when the moon would come out and where the sun would appear in the morning.”

Morning Sun Study Sky Moon Anxiety

Author:Louise Bourgeois

“Art is manipulation without intervention.”

Art Art Is Manipulation Intervention

Author:Louise Bourgeois

“Art can no longer be art today if it does not reach into the heart of our present culture and work transformatively within it that is, an art which cannot mould society — and through this naturally operate upon the core questions of our society — is not art.”

Ifs Heart Doe Art Today Culture Core Our Society Mould

Author:Joseph Beuys

“For instance, in places like universities, where everyone speaks so rationally, it is necessary for a kind of enchanter to appear.”

Kind University

Author:Joseph Beuys