Louise Bourgeois: Spirals

I return to Louise Bourgeois’s work as a reference point for the use of spirals in my own work. I have used this symbol as a way of presenting my ideas about community and society in general, from the micro, rose petal pattern, to the macro level of representing a sense of community, rather than as symbols representing themes surrounding personal relationships, as Bourgeois has done.

In the Tate article the word “Control” (Tate. 2005) is mentioned, but rather than in respect of being the one under control, Bourgeois sees the spiral as representing her own sense of having control. In that respect it is a more subjective use of the symbol – presented here in the form of a grid. The minimalist use of primary colours gives them additional impact. I may consider using this device in my own presentations in future.

References:

Tate (no date) ‘Spirals’, Louise Bourgeois, 2005, Tate. Available at: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/bourgeois-spirals-al00346 (Accessed: 15 May 2021).