Beyond the Spider: Days and Nights through the Lens of Louise Bourgeois

Many visitors to the Art Gallery of New South Wales stop at the entrance before even entering the building, captivated by the towering nine-meter-tall spider sculpture, Maman, by French-American artist Louise Bourgeois. Its powerful, silent presence sets the stage for what lies inside.

The exhibition's title is quite poetic: 'Louise Bourgeois: Has the Day Invaded the Night or Has the Night Invaded the Day?' This theme of day versus night and the stark contrasts between light and dark guide us through Bourgeois’s remarkable career spanning over 70 years, showcasing more than 120 works including sculptures, installations, paintings, and prints.

The exhibition is organised around dual imagery, using day and night as a thread that unfolds across two levels. The upper level is bright and inviting, while the lower level is dark and introspective, leading viewers through the eternal dichotomies of love and anger, order and chaos, trust and abandonment, revealing how Bourgeois navigated these emotional landscapes.

The daylight section is divided into thematic areas, each with its own unique and poetic focus, gently dissecting her roles in life and her internal struggles. Themes such as 'My Own Voice Wakes Me Up,' 'One and Others,' 'I Love You, Do You Love Me,' and 'Good Mother, Bad Mother' explore her identities as a daughter, wife, and mother, while also reflecting her sense of being unable to fully meet societal expectations of these roles. Yet she asserts, 'I have not failed as a truth seeker.'

In the 'One and Others' area, various sculptures are accompanied by manuscripts and texts, each narrating captivating stories that make every protagonist feel relatable, just like you, me, or anyone else.

Female viewers, in particular, may resonate deeply with this. Bourgeois breaks traditional constraints through her art, seamlessly merging the unique vulnerabilities and strengths of womanhood. She likens herself to 'a double-edged sword,' capable of shifting between fragility and aggression.

Plate 1
Once there was a girl and she loved a man.
They had a date next to the eighth street station of the sixth avenue subway.
She had put on her good clothes and a new hat. Somehow he could not come.
So the propose of this picture is to show she beautiful she was. I really mean that she was beautiful.

The tone is understated yet penetrating, capturing the glimmer of hope between expectation and disappointment.

In the 'When You Come to Me' area, the most eye-catching piece is a suspended sculpture that seems to depict two bodies intertwined. Through her experiences of love and loss, Bourgeois interprets relationships in her art. She notes, 'You are born alone. You die alone. The value of the space between is trust and love.'

As we transition into the lower level, themed around night, the atmosphere shifts dramatically. The dim lighting envelops the viewer in mystery and heaviness, akin to stepping into the artist’s dreamlike nocturnal world, where thoughts dance chaotically.

The mirrored sculpture, Has the Day Invaded the Night or Has the Night Invaded the Day?, stands prominently, inviting viewers to reflect on their own distorted yet authentic selves, prompting a silent introspection.

As I exited the exhibition with a renewed understanding of Louise Bourgeois, recognising her as much more than her famous spider sculpture. She is a truth seeker who carved her life experiences into her art, creating works that resonate with rich emotions and creativity. Her art invites everyone to stop by, come closer, and feel.

Exhibition details
Exhibition: Louise Bourgeois - Has the Day Invaded the Night or Has the Night Invaded the Day?
Date: 25 November, 2023 – 28 April, 2024
Venue: North Building, Art Gallery of New South Wales
Tickets:
General | AUD 35
Seniors | AUD 32
Members | AUD 30
Family Ticket | AUD 88 (two adults and three children)
Youth (12-17 years) | AUD 12
Website: https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/