Louise Bourgeois. Who, Where, When, Why, What (1999)

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Louise Bourgeois. Who, Where, When, Why, What. 1999

IMAGE PERMISSIONS

Cat. No. 542.2/II, variant 4

Who, Where, When, Why, What

State/Variant:: Version 2 of 2, state II of VIII, variant
Date:: 1999

Themes:: Architecture, Words
Techniques:: Drypoint
Description:: Drypoint, with blue and red ink additions
Support:: Smooth, wove paper
Dimensions:: plate: 11 7/8 x 9 13/16" (30.1 x 25 cm); sheet: 17 x 14" (43.2 x 35.5 cm)
Signature:: Not signed
Publisher:: unpublished
Printer:: Harlan & Weaver, New York
Edition:: 4 known variant impressions of version 2, state II
Impression:: Not numbered
Edition Information:: Not issued as a published edition at any state.
State Changes and Additions:: Matrices:
The progression of version 2, as seen in the Evolving Composition Diagram below, involved 3 plates.
Plate 1: contours of composition and shading of capital W’s, in drypoint; printed in red or black.
Plate 2: shading of house borders and segments of smoke, in aquatint; printed in red or black.
Plate 3: smoke spiral, reconfigured text, and contours of capital W’s in soft ground etching; printed in red or black.

State Changes:
Plate 1 printed in red.
Changes from version 1: composition reconfigured with text in boxes within a house shape, in drypoint.
Changes from version 2, state I, in drypoint: billowing smoke and door further delineated, capital W’s shaded, and text reinforced.
Background:: In August of 1999, the Dalai Lama spoke at several well-attended events in New York City. Bourgeois's son, Jean-Louis, requested that his mother execute a benefit print to raise money for the Dalai Lama’s cause about a month prior to the speaking engagements. Although Bourgeois created this composition, the benefit project did not come to fruition and this print was never published.
Curatorial Remarks:: A variant impression of version 2, state IV was sold at Phillips, New York, “Editions” auction on November 23, 2008, as lot 90. The description lists a "numbered edition of 25 and 7 artist's proofs, published by Harlan & Weaver, New York." According to Felix Harlan of Harlan & Weaver, this composition was never published.
MoMA Credit Line:: Gift of the artist
MoMA Accession Number:: 892.2008