The Monumental Life and Art of Louise Bourgeois

Marie-Laure Bernadac’s “Knife-Woman: The Life of Louise Bourgeois” is a significant and comprehensive biography capturing the extensive life of the renowned French-American artist Louise Bourgeois. Living up to 98 years old, Bourgeois remained actively involved in her artistic pursuits until her final days. Bernadac, an experienced French curator familiar with Bourgeois, takes on the challenging task of chronicling the artist’s expansive legacy, drawing from a broad collection of her creations, personal writings, and historical documents.

The biography is unique in its approach, offering a personal touch by referring to Bourgeois and the significant people in her life by their first names. Born and raised in Paris, Bourgeois eventually settled in New York, where she developed an impressive body of work including sculptures and installations. Her life and artistic journey are portrayed as a tapestry, reflective of her childhood environment at her parents’ tapestry restoration business. This metaphor underscores the depth and interconnectivity of her life experiences and artistic expressions.

While Bernadac’s rich narrative is structured chronologically, she ingeniously integrates stories from Bourgeois’s life that illustrate the profound influence of her past on her art. The book includes visual reproductions of Bourgeois’s art and photographs spanning different stages of her life, offering readers a holistic view of her world. Significant moments, such as Bourgeois with her sculpture “Fillette,” immortalized by photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, are highlighted.

However, while providing deep biographical and professional insights, Bernadac’s interpretations of Bourgeois’s psychological state sometimes rely on outdated, stereotypical descriptions, which may detract from the book’s otherwise meticulous scholarship.

Overall, “Knife-Woman” achieves Bernadac’s aim to offer a vivid, honest account of Bourgeois’s life and art, revealing the artist’s enduring belief in expressive freedom and self-exploration. Louise Bourgeois’s wish to convey her thoughts and messages through her art is vividly realized throughout Bernadac’s meticulously researched account.