LOUISE BOURGEOIS Made Giant Spiders and Wasn't Sorry

Here we are at the end of another "THEME MONTH": WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH. My ongoing concern (rant?) about Theme Months is that the topics merit attention ALL YEAR LONG, year after year. Dedicating a month is worthy but risks ignoring the topic for eleven months of the year.

I also worry that the subjects dealt with often focus on familiar figures rather than using the theme to explore and expand lesser known or even untold stories. I began this month with reviews of two such women. If you missed that post, please click on the link and learn more about the inventor of dishwashers and a mathematician whose work made widespread electrification infrastructure possible (and safe).  Throughout the month I've included some "themed" posts and many that were far afield of the theme, because I intend to continue showcasing outstanding books about women throughout the year. 

Yet here we are with two days left in this month dedicated to sharing Women's History.  I will bookend my March posts with this review and one tomorrow, each of which astounded and informed me about women leaders in their fields who were entirely new to me.

Phaidon, 2023

LOUISE BOURGEOIS Made Giant Spiders and Wasn't Sorry is the latest in a series of picture books about groundbreaking artists by Fausto Gilberti. This title is one of Gilbert's series MY FIRST REBEL ARTIST picture books, from Phaidon For Kids. I reviewed some earlier titles HERE, HERE, and HERE. These share the title lines ...and Wasn't Sorry. For anyone who has drawn outside the lines, intentionally, for those who have looked at familiar things in new ways, and (perhaps especially) those who have never imagined such a rebel approach was possible, these books are as important as they are appealing.

In each earlier case I had been familiar with the artists and their works before reading. In the case of Bourgeois and her giant spiders, I knew of her massive but fragile-looking sculptures but not about much of her other body of work. I had never investigated the artist.                

Louise Bourgeois was born into a talented and loving family, in a rural setting filled with animals who seemed like people to Louise. She was NOT afraid of spiders. These illustrations portray her using stark black-line, silhouette-style images on white background. This allows readers to see her as  a very "spidery" girl, quite literally on one spread. Facts about the way her mother affectionately tickled her head (as if with little spider-leg fingers) and wove/repaired priceless tapestries with uncanny talent made me think this factual tale could inspire a magical one in which a spider is turned to a human and spawns a girl-child who lives in pursuit of finding her true identity. 

And yet this book and the others in the series are firmly anchored in factual content, revealed in both text and images that spin webs of fascination and fondness. Louise's early and ongoing trademark in creating visual art featured two- and three-dimensional pieces that exaggerated/distorted/reoriented reality. She experienced some attention throughout her life, but now her works are treasured among museums across the globe. Even so, at the grand age of 87 she chose to sculpt a spider. An enormous construction of metal and marble that stood many stories tall. A first creation of its kind with the suitable title of MAMAN (French for mother). This, the largest of her many spider sculptures, was duplicated in bronze six times. Those extraordinary spiders demand an outdoor space, and they stand outside the entryways of major art museums.                                        

Louise pursued the artistry of her parents at an early age, learning their techniques, adapting and exploring new applications, and continuing to innovate until the end of her life. In the last years of her work, Louise created woven art out of old clothing and linens. Her success did not arrive early, but her imagination and creativity led to objects and art that astound, producing an impressive body of work that eventually gained attention in sold-out exhibitions. 

The books in this series are a tribute to the artistry and design skills of the author/illustrator, Gilberti. From cover to cover, from end pages to interiors, each incorporates examples of the featured artists best known and some lesser known works, but also reveals the human stories and relationships that had inspired (or created mysteries about) their iconic works. Older readers will find mentor text and intriguing details within the text and back matter, while even youngest audiences will thrill at spotting the tiny (and not so tiny) appearances of spiders throughout the pages. Each of the titles in this series sparks an impulse to "try that", to put hands onto media nd see what might emerge. 

Just as other well-known and hidden figures in women's history are likely to encourage investigation into studies and careers in fields typically controlled/dominated by males, this woman in (art) history deserves our attention during March and throughout the year. And that sentence is intended for adult readers, too!