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Louise Bourgeois's drawing

"Drawings are thought feathers, they are ideas that I seize in midflight and put down on paper. All my thoughts are not translated into sculpture until several years later. As a result, there are lots of things that appear in drawings that are never explored further." My tutor, Mark Fairnington, recommended me looking up Louise Bourgeois's drawings, then he was wondering whether I draw or not. I said no, as I thought drawing was a former step to painting - as a secondary medium used for the process of planning a painting. Because of this reason, I did not always feel free to 'draw for painting.' It was stressful for me. But, Louise Bourgeois didn't treat drawing like this. Her drawings had a therapeutic motivation, suggesting that drawing was more than just a way to plan ideas for her sculptures. The resulting images are sometimes figurative, sometimes abstract or with elements of both figuration and abstraction. She drew on various paper using various materials like anything else can be used to pin down her thoughts and feelings. Her subjects include child-like figures, geometric scenarios, etc. Abstract drawings operate at the surface, having a soothing effect upon the artist, while the figurative drawings dig deep into the depths in order to weed out the memories that may have been disturbing her. So, basically, the daily practice of writing and drawing kept her creative energy flowing, enabling her to draw upon the thoughts and memories that were often lurking deep in the well of the subconscious mind.


As being persuaded by her attitude towards drawing, I have decided to draw three times a week - doing it everyday is harsh for me and I know I would stop doing if I do everyday. Thanks to Mark and Louise, my thoughts about drawing has been changed. Drawing regulary must be helpful to develop and investigate my unconscious forms.


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