Louise Bourgeois: The Secret of the Cells

Since the 1930s Bourgeois has worked with materials ranging from rubber, wood, fabric, and metal to glass, paper, cement, and marble, through which she has told the stories of her own life and the lives of others. The artist's stylistic diversity is as broad as the materials she employs. This book also traces Bourgeois' life from her youth as the daughter of Parisian textile workers and her years studying under Ferdinand Leger, through her experiences with the leading artists of the New York School in the 40s and 50s, up to her famed large and often controversial installations. In addition, this generously illustrated book presents the complete cycle of "Cell" installations from the 1990s. In these contained environments Bourgeois reflects on the human tendency toward isolation and on her own memories. Together these works reveal the evolution of a sculptor's career.