Untitled 2005

Louise Bourgeois created this pair of fabric collages, exact date unknown, with assorted textiles. What gets me about these is how tender and tough they are, all at once. In the left panel, soft pastel hues are arranged in strong geometric forms. Look closely, and you’ll see the seams and creases, each telling a story of its past life as domestic fabric. Then there’s the right panel with the grays and blues. A dark field, a set of stripes. It’s like looking at a Rothko, but made of someone's old clothes. Bourgeois had this way of turning personal history into abstract forms. She’s like, what if a feeling could be a texture? These works remind me a bit of the quilts of Gee’s Bend, where scraps of fabric become powerful statements. It's about art being about connection and conversation with the history of both art and lived experiences. These works aren't about giving answers, they're about opening up questions.