Bourgeois by name only

So, lost for something to do on a Friday afternoon, and feeling the need for inspiration, I tottered down to the Tate Modern to see a retrospective of French artist Louise Bourgeois, now 95 and still sculpting.

The blurb describes her work as ‘characterised by its obsessive subject matter’, exploring her ‘core themes of femininity, sexuality and isolation.’ She focuses in particular on her difficult relationship with her father, who made her English governess his mistress, and her mother, who refused to acknowledge it.

Of course I was going to love it.

A 30’ spider entitled 'Maman', a ghastly last supper/family dinner table/half eaten body called 'The Destruction of the Father', a bright pink knitted seven-in-a-bed romp… What’s not to like?

But it wasn’t the art that moved me most. In 1947 she produced a set of engravings, 'He Disappeared into Complete Silence', writing short stories to go with them. This is the text from Plate 9:

'Once there was a mother of a son. She loved him with a complete devotion.

And she protected him because she knew how sad and wicked this world is.

He was of a quiet nature and rather intelligent but he was not interested in being loved or protected because he was interested in something else.

Consequently at an early age he slammed the door and never came back.

Later on she died but he did not know it.'