58. LOUISE BOURGEOIS | Fausto Gilberti
Made Giant Spiders and Wasn't Sorry.
Friends,
I’ve never wanted nor had any children1 which has been an incredibly divisive and controversial topic throughout my life (from the age of 11 !!). I’ve been accused by many of being selfish, had warnings that ‘I’ll die alone’ and that I’m not fulfilling my ‘duty as a woman’ by refusing to procreate. In their defence, there is just one thing I’ve missed out on, and that is inspirational children’s books like this one that I didn’t get to read when I was a kid. I can only imagine the fuel these feminist books would have added to my already rebellious and ungovernable nature (my poor father). If you’re making your way through some nurturing inner child work as I am, you’ll love this book.
Full of delightful illustrations, Fausto Gilberti wrote this book in his artist biography series to make contemporary art approachable and enjoyable for his two children.
TW: the book deals with the death of a parent and even though it provides context and underlying motivations to the story, this may be upsetting to some readers.
This is an inspiring story about a young girl who became the first female sculptor to have a solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York – a unique picture-book celebration for children of one of the most important modern and contemporary woman artists of our time.
Recent reads & other media
The women-only Barbizon Hotel2 - sounds absolutely wonderful. (let’s bring these back please)
“These Kids Mattered” - Tish Murtha3. A new film about British photographer Tish Murtha, who captured life in the north east of England in the 1970s and 80s, chronicles the rise of Thatcherism and tells the story of a unique artist who was unable to escape from the poverty she exposed.
Why you have haters, even if you’re a nice person.
Also related, a catchy jingle called ‘I Wrote a Song Using Only YOUR Comments from my Hate Comment Songs’
Absolutely love this book cover and the synopsis (coming June 2024)
In its early days, the magazine Mademoiselle positioned itself as “the magazine for smart young women.” It published work by Truman Capote, Albert Camus, and Flannery O’Connor. Each summer, the magazine selected 20 women from colleges around the country to come to New York and work as guest editors. For housing, they were put up in a women-only hotel at East 63rd and Lexington Avenue: The Barbizon Hotel. Historian Paulina Bren says: “The Barbizon was a sanctuary."
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2023/nov/17/tish-murtha-images-of-childhood-poverty-uk-in-pictures