“Maman” (1999)

Louise Bourgeois (1911-2010) is a French-born artist who created an extensive collection of work relating to gender throughout her life. In particular, I was fascinated by the sculpture: “Maman” (1999) (Manchester, 2009). The huge, metal sculpture displays a life-like spider. Its body suspends from the tops of eight long legs each measuring thirty feet tall. This allows the creature to tower above its audience, drawing attention to an egg sack containing seventeen marble eggs. Through this, Bourgeois informs the audience that this is a female, mother spider. Motherly creatures like spiders work diligently and furiously, fixing their web home and eating the father to protect their young. Similarly, the artist’s mother worked hard both literally fixing tapestries to financially support the family and also emotionally supporting her children to knit together the loss inflicted by Bourgeois’ father’s infidelity and neglect. Following her mother’s tragic death when the artist was only twenty-one, she became inspired to depict the brutal perseverance mothers must silently face as women’s sacrifice goes frustratingly underappreciated while a father is honoured for the bare minimum. The spider therefore subverts the idea that a woman and mother is small and feeble- rather, their strength and love make them a large and protective figure.