Maman

I have been thinking of this sculpture lately, perhaps because I have been painting dark silhouettes?
Or maybe it is because I like spiders? I never knew what Louise Bourgeois was thinking about when she made this sculpture until I read this text taken from wikipedia, don't hate on wikipedia, it is usually reliable. I do not share Ms. Bourgeios love for her mother. I actually do not really like my mother, if you can call her that. But this is not a post about that, it is simply a post about a wicked badass sculpture that I love dearly. Enjoy.


Maman (1999) is a sculpture by the artist Louise Bourgeois. The sculpture, which resembles a spider, is over 30ft high and over 33ft wide, with a sac containing 26 marble eggs. The title is the familiar French word for Mother.

The Spider is an ode to my mother. She was my best friend. Like a spider, my mother was a weaver. My family was in the business of tapestry restoration, and my mother was in charge of the workshop. Like spiders, my mother was very clever. Spiders are friendly presences that eat mosquitoes. We know that mosquitoes spread diseases and are therefore unwanted. So, spiders are helpful and protective, just like my mother.

— Louise Bourgeois