THE CREATIVE PROCESS 1

Reading and listening

Louise Bourgeois

Louise Bourgeois (1911-2010) was a French-American sculptor known for her fascinating, yet terrifying giant spiders, which have become celebrated across the world. It stands to reason that she was nicknamed ‘spider woman’.

Louise used art as a way to process her fears and traumas. ‘An artist is capable of showing things that other people would be terrified of expressing.’ She was inspired by difficult experiences and negative feelings, which sparked her ideas, leading her to create large-scale installations. The series Cells displays carefully arranged everyday objects mixed in with her original sculptures, all housed in metal cages. Each ‘cell’ depicts a thought or feeling. She used organic materials, like cloth and wood, to make humanshaped figures. Her giant creations were often made from steel, while her smaller works were made using other industrial materials, such as glass or bronze.

1 What does ‘it stands to reason’ mean?

2 Which words or phrases from the text refer to...

a) ... the idea stage?

b) ... the production stage?

3 Have you ever expressed feelings in a physical format?

4 Is the sculpture in the image beautiful or scary?

Speaking

5 How do you choose an idea for a piece of art? What inspires you?

6 How do you arrange the elements to achieve a composition that is pleasing to the eye? What criteria do you use to choose the colours, materials and style?

7   Is it possible to make art out of any material?

I reckon all materials can be manipulated, and so they can all be used to make some form of art. Any material can be inspiring! I am inspired by materials that remind me of a memorable experience.

Learning Situation

Challenges That Leave An Imprint

• Search for information on Greek tragedies and select one.

• Gather materials and make sketches.