Louise Bourgeois

A great artist died Monday in Manhattan. She was 98. There is a lot to appreciate about this woman, but what I love most is the unapologetic way she lived her life…and the way she exposed herself–in spite of her fear–in her art.

For me, Louise Bourgeois was a true artist in that she channeled aspects of human existence–unfiltered–through her body, emotions, and experience and conveyed it accurately in the form of sculptures and images we can all relate to. This is one of the greatest services an artist can offer–a reflection of the unmediated experience of being alive conveyed through objects that stop us in our tracks because they remind us that we are not alone. “This is a collective experience,” they assure us, “What you are experiencing–no matter how great or how base–is not unique. It has been done. It has been felt. It is universal.” Our response: “Phew, that’s a relief.”

Artists like Bourgeois demonstrate what it means to live authentically as oneself. They demonstrate how to be open to the talents and visions we all have, but most of us ignore or neglect–sometimes because they are too frightening or overpowering–sometimes because they are too painful. What many of us spend our lives denying as we avoid the fleeting pains of day-to-day life is the truth that the greatest pain we can experience is the neglect of these gifts and the wasting of the precious time we have here. Bourgeois demonstrated through her perseverance–her drive to create without regard for consequences or concern for approval–that one must do what one is compelled to do. Even and especially when that thing frightens us. “I have a religious temperament,” she said, “I have not been educated to use it. I’m afraid of power. It makes me nervous. In real life, I identify with the victim. That’s why I went into art.”

Her obituary in the New York Times today is a good overview of the woman’s life. But, to really get a sense for her power–see her art.