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LOUISE BOURGEOIS: COMPLETE BOOKS & PRINTS

Louise Bourgeois: Complete Books & Prints
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NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION
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Cat. No. 748, unique variant 3

Elle

State/Variant:
Only state, unique variant
Date:
2009
Alternate Title:
Opening Up
Descriptive Title:
English translation: "She"
Themes:
Abstraction, Nature
Techniques:
Etching
Description:
Soft ground etching, with gouache and mixed media additions
Support:
Paper
Dimensions:
plate: 55 9/16 × 13 3/4" (141.2 × 35 cm); sheet: 59 3/8 × 39 7/8" (150.8 × 101.3 cm)
Signature:
"LB" right middle margin, pencil.
Inscription:
"Elle / est / seule / elle" right middle margin, pencil, artist's hand.
Publisher:
Osiris, New York
Printer:
Wingate Studio, Hinsdale, NH
Edition:
Unique
Impression:
Not numbered
Edition Information:
This is one of 10 unique variants outside the edition to incorporate this plate, printed alone or in combination with other plates in multi-panel works. Most include extensive hand additions and sometimes partial inking of the plate. When the plate is used alone, the work is included in the Evolving Composition Diagram. When it is printed with other plates, it is included in Related Works in the Catalogue.

See Evolving Composition Diagram:
Untitled, plate 4 of 9, from the illustrated book, "Differentiate"
Untitled, no. 3 of 3, from the series, "This Need"
"Elle"
Untitled, no. 2 of 3, from the series, "Jalouse"
Untitled, no. 1 of 4, from the series, "Have a Little Courage"
"Les Matins Se Lèvent"
Untitled, no. 6 of 6, from the series, "I Give Everything Away"

See Related Works in the Catalogue:
"A Stretch of Time"
"The Geometry of Pleasure (#2)"
Untitled, no. 3 of 3, from the series, "Jalouse"

About the "Opening Up" edition:
Within the edition, selective wiping varies from impression to impression. There is 1 known variant impression of the only state, outside the edition.
State Changes and Additions:
Matrices:
Plate partially inked.
Background:
Benjamin Shiff, the director of the Osiris imprint, collaborated with Bourgeois in a highly experimental phase of printmaking that occupied the last years of her life, from 2005 to 2010. He first established a working relationship with the artist in the 1990s, but the late period is particularly noteworthy for the innovative and complex large-scale projects that evolved at that time. Shiff made use of professional workshops for printing, but he oversaw the creation of the printing plates as Bourgeois worked on them in her home studio. He also provided assistance as she added extensive hand additions and texts, and as she combined individual compositions into multi-panel works and illustrated books.
Curatorial Remarks:
On the verso, this impression includes a variant impression outside the "My Inner Life" edition, with no hand additions. For the full "My Inner Life" composition, see Related Works in the Catalogue.

The type of paper, plate dimensions, and mediums of the hand additions and signature could not be documented because this impression is not in MoMA's Collection and could not be examined in person. The plate dimensions are from the published impression in MoMA’s Collection. The sheet dimensions were provided by the Louise Bourgeois Studio.

Although "Opening Up" was not editioned until 2008, the plate was developed one year earlier and impressions were included in 2 works completed in 2007.

Opening Up
2007-2010

States

Louise Bourgeois. Opening Up. 2008
Opening Up
Only state, variant
2008
Published Louise Bourgeois. Opening Up. 2008
Opening Up
Only state
2008

Unique Variants

Published NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Louise Bourgeois. Untitled, plate 4 of 9, from the illustrated book, Differentiate. 2007
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Untitled, plate 4 of 9, from the illustrated book, Differentiate
Only state, unique variant
2007
Published NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Louise Bourgeois. Untitled, no. 3 of 3, from the series, This Need. 2007
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Untitled, no. 3 of 3, from the series, This Need
Only state, unique variant
2007
Published NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Louise Bourgeois. Elle. 2009
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Elle
Only state, unique variant
2009
Published NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Louise Bourgeois. Untitled, no. 1 of 4, from the series, Have a Little Courage. 2009
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Untitled, no. 1 of 4, from the series, Have a Little Courage
Only state, unique variant
2009
Published NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Louise Bourgeois. Untitled, no. 2 of 3, from the series, Jalouse. 2009
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Untitled, no. 2 of 3, from the series, Jalouse
Unique variant
2009
Published NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Louise Bourgeois. Untitled, no. 6 of 6, from the series, I Give Everything Away. 2010
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Untitled, no. 6 of 6, from the series, I Give Everything Away
Only state, unique variant
2010
Published NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Louise Bourgeois. Les Matins Se Lèvent. 2010
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Les Matins Se Lèvent
Only state, unique variant
2010

Illustrated Book
2007

NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Louise Bourgeois. Differentiate. 2007
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Differentiate
2007
More About This Work

Series
2007

NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Louise Bourgeois. This Need. 2007
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION This Need
2007
More About This Work

Series
2009

NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Louise Bourgeois. Have a Little Courage. 2009
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Have a Little Courage
2009
More About This Work

Series
2009

NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Louise Bourgeois. Jalouse. 2009
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Jalouse
2009
More About This Work

Series
2010

NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION Louise Bourgeois. I Give Everything Away. 2010
NOT IN MoMA'S COLLECTION I Give Everything Away
2010
More About This Work