Untitled (Germinal)

"Art is about life and that about sums it up," Louise Bourgeois said. In this work the cluster of organic forms seems to sprout out of the bronze, suggesting growth and regeneration. Using a symbol of the act of creation itself, the artist has “given life” to inert matter. The rounded shape of the lower part of the sculpture, which evokes a cell, a cocoon or a nest, also emphasizes the ideas of germination.

Bourgeois’ art was indebted to Surrealism, which inspired her to explore her interior world and the subconscious in extremely inventive and fascinating ways. Germinal dates from the 1960s, which was a decade of wide experimentation for the artist. Bourgeois created a version of this piece with a gold patina.