LOUISE BOURGEOIS: COMPLETE BOOKS & PRINTS

Descriptive Title:

English translation: "Ode to the Bièvre"

Themes:

Fabric Works, Nature, Words

Techniques:

Lithography

Description:

Lithograph

Support:

Fabric

Dimensions:

sheet: 7 1/2 x 10 1/2" (19.1 x 26.7 cm)

Signature:

"LB" right lower sheet, stiched in tan thread.

Publisher:

unpublished

Printer:

SOLO Impression, New York

Edition:

2 known impressions of version 2, only state

Impression:

Not numbered

Edition Information:

Not issued as a published edition at any state.

The second known impression of this version is not illustrated due to its similarity to the impression seen here.

State Changes and Additions:

Changes from version 1: text altered in size and letter case, and accent over the "a" changed from a circumflex to grave, in lithography.

Background:

The Bourgeois family moved to Antony after World War I, and the artist spent her childhood years there. They chose this location for its proximity to the Bièvre River, which contained tannin, an important ingredient in the setting of tapestry dyes for the family’s tapestry restoration business. The Bièvre River cut across the backyard of the property, which was beautifully planted by Bourgeois’s mother and father. In the early 1950s, the Bièvre was filled in. The artist’s relationship to the river and its surrounding gardens is the story behind the 2002 fabric book, "Ode à la Bièvre." See Related Works in the Catalogue below. In 2007, Bourgeois created an editioned version of the unique 2002 book.

The background of this impression is printed to resemble music paper, which Bourgeois favored for drawings and can be found in her work as far back as the early 1940s. She returned to it as a drawing surface in 1994-95, at the time of her "Insomnia Drawings" series, when she listened to music during the night. She used it frequently in the years that followed.

Curatorial Remarks:

This impression has light staining, as is commonly found in the old fabrics Bourgeois chose to use as printing surfaces.

© The Easton Foundation/VAGA at ARS, NY