Quotes by Louise Bourgeois

About Louise Bourgeois:

Louise Joséphine Bourgeois was a French-American artist and sculptor. She was an influential figure in modern and contemporary art, and among her works of art were large spider structures which resulted in her being nicknamed the Spiderwoman. Her largest spider sculpture titled Maman stands at over 30 feet (9.1 m) and has been installed in numerous locations around the world. She became recognized as the founder of confessional art.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

My art is a form of restoration in terms of my feelings to myself and to others.

Louise Bourgeois

It is not so much where my motivation comes from but rather how it manages to survive.

Louise Bourgeois

To express your emotions, you have to be very loose and receptive. The unconscious will come to you if you have that gift that artists have. I only know if I'm inspired by the results.

Louise Bourgeois

My childhood has never lost its mystery, and it has never lost its drama.

Louise Bourgeois

I don't watch TV. I don't use a computer, a fax or a cellphone.

Louise Bourgeois

Tell your own story, and you will be interesting.

Louise Bourgeois

I know that when I finish a drawing, my anxiety level decreases. The realistic drawings are a way of pinning down an idea. I don't want to loose it. With the abstract drawings, when I'm feeling loose, I can slip into the unconscious.

Louise Bourgeois

I have kept a diary as long as I can remember, and drawings are really another kind of diary.

Louise Bourgeois

When my mother died, I fell apart. My father wanted to control me. As a consequence, I ran away to America.

Louise Bourgeois

To be an artist, you need to exist in a world of silence.

Louise Bourgeois

I was a 'runaway girl' from France who married an American and moved to New York City. I'm not sure I would have continued as an artist had I remained in Paris because of the family setup.

Louise Bourgeois

I have drawn my whole life. My parents were in the tapestry restoration business, and as a young girl, I would draw in the missing parts of the tapestry that needed to be rewoven.

Louise Bourgeois

Space is something that you have to define. Otherwise, it is like anxiety, which is too vague. A fear is something specific. I like claustrophobic spaces, because at least then you know your limits.

Louise Bourgeois

Even though what I do does enter the market, it doesn't interest me. I am exclusively concerned with the formal qualities of my work. It is about the need and the right to self-expression.

Louise Bourgeois

I was raised a Catholic. But I am not religious. In my work, I am interested in real flesh and blood.

Louise Bourgeois

Look at it this way - a totem pole is just a decorated tree. My work is a confessional.

Louise Bourgeois

Author Bio

  • NameLouise Bourgeois
  • DescriptionAmerican and French sculptor
  • BornDecember 25, 1911
  • DiedMay 31, 2010
  • CountryFrance; United States Of America
  • ProfessionSculptor; Visual Artist; Artist; Painter
  • WorksMaman; The Welcoming Hands; Spider
  • AwardsNational Medal Of Arts; Legion Of Honour; Praemium Imperiale; National Women's Hall Of Fame