In: Psychology
Bourgeois states that it might be true that an artist has “something in them that either refuses or is unable to grow up.” What do you think she means by this?
What are the sorts of ideas she is dealing with here: politically, morally, poetically and/or psychologically? What is her message? Is she successful in getting her ideas across?
Bourgeois is saying that creativity can be inspired by life changing events. I think while she was growing up, she did not have an outlet to release her rage, fear of abandonment, and guilt for her emotions outside of her diary. "At age eleven, she witnessed her father’s betrayal of his wife and three children when he initiated a ten-year affair with their live-in English tutor. During this period, Bourgeois also attended to her mother, who had succumbed to the Spanish Flu after the First World War. How does an adolescent girl deal with all of this after she loses her mother to a disease she had been battling and her world starts crumbling around her because of her father's infidelities. Her art is very different from all the other artist we have been studying in that it is autobiographical and was inspired by her childhood memories. She uses her art as an outlet to express her repressed emotions growing up and does a beautiful job.
Her message is that all artists have an inner child or being that never changes and that drives the artists exclusive style and taste, and therefore an artist should never try to move away from that inner being or try to change or go against it.
Yes she is successful in getting her ideas across as her art is very different from other artists and is composed of inspirations from her past messed up childhood.