Like the Surrealists before her, Louise Bourgeois was deeply fascinated with Freudian psychoanalytic theory. She viewed her artistic practice as a way of tapping into her unconscious, a sort of therapy session in and of itself. Between 1952 and 1985, Bourgeois underwent psychoanalytic treatment, which she carefully documented. Not only do these writings illuminate her artistic motivations, they form a unique contribution to Freudian thought on the subjects of female sexuality and creativity. Alongside 40 artworks demonstrating the breadth of her artistic career—including the totemic Personages of the 1940s and the late-period fabric sculptures—this exhibition features selections from Bourgeois’s psychoanalytic writings, passages that have never before been shown to the public. —Sabina Vitale

Louise Bourgeois, Freud’s Daughter
Jewish Museum
1109 5th Ave, New York, NY 10128, USA
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