Louise Bourgeois. Untitled (Study for Tornado) (1991)

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Louise Bourgeois. Untitled (Study for Tornado). 1991

IMAGE PERMISSIONS

Cat. No. 671, study 2

Untitled (Study for Tornado)

State/Variant:: Study
Date:: 1991

Themes:: Abstraction, Nature, Spirals
Techniques:: Other
Description:: Photocopy, with nail holes, screwdriver punctures, ink and correction fluid additions, and tape
Support:: Smooth paper (two joined sheets)
Dimensions:: composition: 18 1/8 × 13 9/16" (46 × 34.5 cm); overall: 18 1/2 × 14 3/8" (47 × 36.5 cm)
Signature:: "1991 BL" [backward] lower left comp., black ink; "LB" lower right comp.
Publisher:: unpublished
Edition:: 2 known studies
Impression:: Not numbered
Background:: Bourgeois created this composition through the use of photocopy studies and a hammering technique. She transferred her source drawing to a copper plate by photocopying it and then hammering a nail through the photocopy (study 1) and into the plate. That made heavily indented round marks in the plate. There are no images of that plate or any known impressions from it.

Bourgeois then made the larger photocopy study seen here (study 2) from the first photocopy study. She placed this enlarged photocopy on top of another thin copper plate, and, using the photocopy’s image as a guide, she hammered through the photocopy with a nail and a screwdriver to make round and dash-like indentations in the plate. The indentations show as raised markings on the back of the plate. Both sides of the plate are pictured in the Evolving Composition Diagram below.

Bourgeois printed impressions from both sides of the plate. The version 1 impressions were pulled from the front of the plate and the version 2 impression was pulled from the back of the plate.

The artist employed a similar technique in the 1992 print compositions “Merci. Mercy.” and “We Love You” seen in Related Works in the Catalogue below.
Curatorial Remarks:: Bourgeois hammered through some but not all of the photocopied nail holes seen on this sheet. She crossed out, in red ink, the marks that were hammered through.

The two sheets overlap and are joined by three pieces of clear tape nearly halfway down from the top of the composition.

The paper is folded at the edges where it had been folded over the copper plate. Pieces of tape remain on the back.

In addition to the photocopies of the source drawing used to develop the print composition, Bourgeois used two photocopies as the basis for new untitled drawings. Both can be seen in Related Works in Other Mediums below.
MoMA Credit Line:: Gift of the artist
MoMA Accession Number:: 458.2010