Arch of Hysteria 1993

Louise Bourgeois made this sculpture, 'Arch of Hysteria' without a date, though you can really get a sense of the artistic process, that is to say a lot of feeling went into it. The colour and materiality really affects how we perceive the artwork; it's a bronze figure, polished so that it's surface is reflective, and you can really read the detail of the human form. The body is arched backwards, almost to breaking point, but the bronze has a reassuring, solid quality that I find compelling. This figure could be trapped, in pain or, conversely, expressing pure ecstasy. I think this is where Bourgeois really excels: conveying complex emotions in an abstracted form. Think too of Rodin, who explored the body in similarly expressive ways, but Bourgeois brings something more visceral and intimate to the table. For me, it's that combination of ambiguity and raw emotion that keeps me hooked.