Characters 1965

Curator: Look at this amazing formation by Louise Bourgeois, "Characters," from 1965. The mixed-media installation features a series of vertical sculptures. They're like enigmatic figures populating a stage. Editor: My first thought is 'totem poles,' but less...rigid, maybe? Each one has its own personality, almost as if they're a silent gathering of abstract figures engaged in some silent conversation. There's a playfulness, but also something intensely private. Curator: Exactly! Bourgeois herself described them as representing people from her past. She had a very complex relationship with her family. The stacked forms suggest stability, but at the same time a precariousness, don't you think? A teetering tower ready to crumble under scrutiny, memory itself maybe. Editor: Absolutely. And each form seems to be a stand-in for more than it presents at first sight, the geometric volumes and various materials—how much do we know about the different symbolic connotations the materials have? Curator: Materiality was key for Bourgeois; she wanted to emphasize their presence, their very being. This almost defiant assertion of 'objecthood' forces us to consider the 'weight' of memory, both physically and emotionally. Notice how even the colours add to this– that solemn blue, and pale pink, and so forth. Editor: So it's not just about abstraction for abstraction's sake; the choice of the materials are acting on an almost primal memory, as well. Looking at this now, knowing that, gives me the distinct impression that even though each “character” has the appearance of rigidity or stoicism, the materials belie an underlying emotion or temperament. Curator: These works, these characters—are never simply 'figures,' they’re stand-ins for deep psychological and emotional explorations. They reflect trauma, healing, vulnerability and strength all at once! I see how we keep relating their shapes with human figures even as we also talk about geometric abstraction... isn't it wonderful? Editor: Indeed, a silent assembly whispering stories we can never fully know, a beautiful intersection where form carries a cargo of feeling. And those emotions remain relevant today.