Louise Bourgeois: In Private View

Louise Bourgeois: In Private View is the first solo exhibition in Aotearoa New Zealand of Louise Bourgeois (1911–2010), one of the most intriguing and influential artists of the last century.

The exhibition brings together a selection of works from an international private collection, exhibited publicly for the first time. The exhibition spans over six decades of Bourgeois’s career, from early paintings made in 1945 to a fabric work from the final year of her life. Widely celebrated for her psychologically charged and bold sculptural practice, Bourgeois explored themes of memory, family, the body and the subconscious, often drawing from personal experiences. She is best known for her series of large spider sculptures, which have been installed in many major international cities.

 Louise Bourgeois: In Private View offers an intimate encounter with Bourgeois’s work, and follows the evolution of her art practice over time. Highlights include paintings and her first series of sculptures, the Personages, from the 1940s and early ‘50s; Lair sculptures from the early 1960s; and significant later works, such as textile-based sculptures and sculptural enclosures. Spider VI (2002) is a wall-mounted example of her internationally acclaimed series of spider sculptures, which she began in the mid-1990s. Also featured is her extraordinary hanging sculpture, The Couple, and late outdoor piece, Eyes.

Louise Bourgeois: In Private View is proudly supported by the Contemporary Benefactors of Auckland Art Gallery.

Image credit: Louise Bourgeois, The Couple, 2003, aluminum, on loan from a private collection. Photo: Christopher Burke, © The Easton Foundation /Licensed by Copyright Agency, AU | Louise Bourgeois, Untitled, 2004, fabric, wool, steel, on loan from a private collection. © The Easton Foundation /Licensed by Copyright Agency, AU | Louise Bourgeois, Untitled (Chair), 1998, steel, glass, on loan from a private collection. © The Easton Foundation /Licensed by Copyright Agency, AU