Ode to Repair: Weaving and Restoration in the Work of Louise Bourgeois

Abstract

Contemporary art practitioners use a rich arsenal of techniques and materials, including those previously considered by artists to be applied and therefore of secondary importance. Threads and fabrics have long been confined to the field of fine and decorative arts and have not been considered full participants in the art scene. Until now the boundaries between textile art and high art remain blurred. However, at the end of the twentieth century, we saw a new strategy for the perception of textiles and domestic handicraft practices as independent art forms. The change in the traditional hierarchy and language of art in the 1960s and 1980s was influenced by many developments, including the emergence of a new wave of artists who began to incorporate applied materials into the space of art. The legalisation of textile production as an artistic practice owed much to Louise Bourgeois, who turned to needlework techniques and demonstrated their limitless potential. The material for this article is the textile works of Louise Bourgeois, her memoirs, as well as video materials and the documentary film “The Spider, the Mistress and the Mandarin”. This article analyses textile works of the artist, as well as the themes of damage and restoration that run through many of her works. The term “mending” is discussed, which seems broader and more relevant to describe Bourgeois’ works. The image of the spider, a symbol of mother and weaver, which is important for the artist, is also analysed. In the orbit of the author’s attention is the theme of duality of needle as a simultaneous image of traumatisation and reparation. The conclusion is made that L. Bourgeois’ work has influenced artists from the 1970s to the present day. Her creative language, the variety of materials and techniques used have enriched the arsenal of contemporary art and have certainly influenced the place of textile in the hierarchy of arts.