Louis Bourgeois' spiders...

6:50 p.m.

19/04/18 - When an artist creates a visually striking piece, the exhibitions come one after the other. The visitor of a museum of Contemporary art is looking for impact rather than the concept behind what's being presented. This is what happens with the spiders of the talented French artist Louis Bourgeois (1911 – 2010). Her pieces are extremely large and impressive but there's also a story behind them: Bourgeois compares them with her mother and defines them as extremely intelligent, hard-working and utterly protective.

Spider V, by Louis Bourgeois (1999)

Material: bronze

The spiders are now being exhibited at the SFMoMA, the same that were presented before at London's Tate Gallery (here) and New York's MoMA (here). The sculptures are distributed around the room and are made of different materials and sizes. Some are elegant, others creepy. Just as the love of a mother, according to Bourgeois: simple and unconditional, but also psychologically complex, where protection mixes up with guilt, anger and fear of abandonment.

(In front) Spider, by Louis Bourgeois (1995)

Material: steel

Spider, by Louis Bourgeois (1995)

Material: steel (detail)

The exhibition is called simply "Louis Bourgeois Spiders" and it also displays "The Nest", of 1994, which is part of the museum's permanent collection.