Alex Van Gelder | Louise Bourgeois
Photography has always been a huge hobby of mine so I was immediately drawn to this piece. Dutch artist Alex Van Gelder was given the opportunity by long time sculptor Louise Bourgeois to come to her home in NYC in the year before she died to take photographs of her. Bourgeois was considered to be one of the most influential sculptors of the 20th century before she died in May 2010 at 98 years old. Out of all the pictures that were taken during this session, the ones of her hands were the most breathtaking. The closeness of the photographs depicts the hard work and dedication Bourgeois put into her work over her time as an artist. The wrinkles and scars left behind are beautiful marks of the accomplishments achieved. I also think its fascinating seeing each position of the hands in a different frame. It makes each pose individualistic and creates a different meaning for each one. The black background of each one establishes the hands as the central focal point where my eyes are forced to look. The symmetry and geometric positioning of the pictures is also aesthetically pleasing to me as I like to see straight and organized lines. I hope to someday hang up photographs like this on the wall of my future home.
