A work of art doesn't have to be explained. If you do not have any feeling about this, I cannot explain it to you. If this doesn't touch you, I have failed.
Louise BourgeoisRead
I know that when I finish a drawing, my anxiety level decreases. The realistic drawings are a way of pinning down an idea. I don't want to loose it. With the abstract drawings, when I'm feeling loose, I can slip into the unconscious.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Art serves as a therapeutic outlet, helping to manage anxiety and express subconscious thoughts.
In this quote, Louise Bourgeois expresses how art, through both realistic and abstract forms, helps her cope with anxiety. Realistic drawings allow her to capture and secure her ideas, while abstract art offers her a way to explore and express feelings that may not be readily accessible, providing a balance between control and freedom in her creative process.
Themes
ArtAnxietyExpressionCreativityRealisticAbstractSubconscious
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about stress relief techniques, one might quote Bourgeois to illustrate the therapeutic nature of art.
More from Louise Bourgeois
All quotes βClothing is . . . an exercise in memory. It makes me explore the past: how did I feel when I wore that. They are like signposts in the search for the past.
Louise BourgeoisRead
Space is something that you have to define. Otherwise, it is like anxiety, which is too vague. A fear is something specific. I like claustrophobic spaces, because at least then you know your limits.
Louise BourgeoisRead
It is not so much where my motivation comes from but rather how it manages to survive.
Louise BourgeoisRead
I always had the fear of being separated and abandoned. The sewing is my attempt to keep things together and make things whole.
Louise BourgeoisRead
It is not a torment to be an artist. It is a privilege.
Louise BourgeoisRead
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Henry Wadsworth LongfellowRead
Neurologically, I'm a quadriplegic, so virtually everything about my work has been driven by my learning disabilities, which are quite severe, and my lack of facial recognition, which I'm sure is what drove me to paint portraits in the first place.
Chuck CloseRead