Anish Kapoor and Louise Bourgeois are considered one of the most influential sculptures and architects of the current time. Their works are admired by many people all over the world. Both artists reveal an extreme interest in creating modernized figures. They are in a constant search for the diversity of forms and materials in order to create the meaningful basis of the work of art. While introducing the viewers with their masterpieces, Kapoor and Bourgeois intend to render the multiplicity of forms that had not been revealed before their creative career. So, when I visit the exhibition of both creators, I was persuaded that they are the real masters of form and content.
Anish Kapoor is one of the most influential sculptors of his generation. He was born in Bombay but later he moved to London where he studied at Chelsea School of Art in the seventieth twentieth century. The artist has captured the world’s attention since his works were kept in the most respectable collections (Ali et al 2006 pp. 157).
Louise Bourgeois is a famous French sculptor that received international acknowledgment for her divergent sculptures. After graduating from high school, he entered Sorbonne where she decided to devote herself to art. Her first sculpture exhibition was held in 1945 in Reridot Gallery (Nixon, 2005).
Though both sculptors used different materials in their figures, still the idea of the works was mostly focused on the contrast of light and shadow. Thus, Kapoor used to introduce powder pigment into his art thus creating unusual forms and figures that embody different symbolic meanings. Nowadays, most sculptures are of solid material like a stone; the wax is also involved in the present repertoire of the artist. The works made from stone have carved cavities; his latest works made of wax and stone are mirror-like since they reflect and distort the viewers and the surrounding objects. The sophisticated use of materials fascinates the viewers by the engagement of metaphysical polarities. In her turn, Louise Bourgeois applies different materials and easily transfers from one material to another. Hence, she pays the least attention to what material she used in her works thus focusing on content but not the form (Janovy, 2005, pp. 90).
As for techniques and processes, Anish Kapoor’s works made from the ponder pigment were carried out by the method of powder casting on the floor. By means of this technique, he managed to control the balance between light and shadow. Using those pigments to line holes and curve recessions in stones makes the viewer distorted so that they could perceive the spatial depth. Such a device creates an idea of the infinity of space as well as metaphysical emptiness. Thus, in his work a cup-shaped form colored with a dark blue inside the cup as if it was a void space that is fully empty. The artist refers to these techniques to create the spaces of nothingness and to declare the idea of inner reality. In this way, he presents the viewers with the power of imagination and deep symbolism (Danvers, pp. 295). Like Kapoor, the Bourgeois tried to make use of the power of three-dimensional aspects of sculpture. While creating her masterpieces, she engages her thoughts and feeling as the major subject of her sculptures. Hence, the works are a kind of expression of the author’s experience that is difficult to convey through mere words. Manifesting the feminist trends, she uses the material as the expression of sexuality and femininity. Arising from this, both artists reveal the gender issues whose sculptures are the embodiment of male and female symbols.
The official feature of the modern social art of sculpture is the significance of expression of form and content. Considering the philosophy and meaning inserted in the form of the sculpture, it should be stressed that Kapoor, as well as the Bourgeois, intended to reveal the metaphorical meaning of their works. Thus, the Indian sculptor’s works reveal some meaningless darkness and emptiness that is reached by the presence of the holes and caved recessions. To accentuate the content of the sculpture, the artist used more dark colors on the background of the light ones. The exciting thing about Kapoor’s pieces of art is that people viewing them subconsciously become part of the composition. The void space that seems silent at first sight is a kind of in-between space that connects the viewer with eternity. The same could be said about the works of the French artist. The simplicity of forms could imply a deeper sense and in a combination of lines, one can notice the hidden idea and the actual goal the author wanted to render. The intelligence of her sculptors allows perceiving all three dimensions thus rendering a deeper form through context. Her famous work Spider reveals is a bright example of the manifestation of strength and fragility, simplicity and complexity. Such a contrast is also uncovered in Kapoor’s works through the play of light and shadow.
Anish Kapoor is the bright representative of such tendency as minimalism, one of the modernistic tendencies. This trend implies an accent on the material and continuous process of hand-made work that is mostly oriented on the subconscious flow of thoughts. Here, important stress should be made on the esthetic meaning of the form and content. As a whole, the trend appeared in the second half of the last century that later became an artistic and cultural phenomenon (Thomson, 2007). Louise Bourgeois also refers to the period of postmodernism and could be regarded as the contemporary artist for whom the importance of form prevails over the importance of the material. She could be also affiliated with the abstractionist since she makes more accents on the idea rather than on the process of making. Moreover, Bourgeois’ art gave rise to the biographical explanation of the forms. The sculptress often uses feminism and psychoanalysis. Therefore, she is also called the mother of feminism and bright representative of surrealism. Her physiological perception rendered her real motives in the art of sculpture (Nixon et al 2007).
After a thorough examination of two outstanding figures of modern art, it should be stressed that their creative work has much in common pertaining to the discovery of contrast. However, there is a great difference in terms of the material used and its significance for the sculptors. In addition, the distinction between forms and contents justifies their belonging to a different trend that dictates different goals and ideas correspondently. Finally, the divergence forms of the figures and the process of making to which Anish Kapoor paid much more attention than Louise Bourgeois did. Anyway, both creators have greatly contributed to the development of the modern art of sculpture and architecture.
Reference
Ali, N., Kalra, V. S., Sayyid, S. (2006). A post colonial people: South Asians in Britain India: Wm. B. Eerdmands publishing.
Danvers, J. (2006). Picturing mind: paradox, intermediacy and consciousness in art & poery the Nethelands: Rodopi.
Jonovy, K. O. Siedel, D. A. (2005). Sculpture from the Sheldon Art Gallery. US: University of Nebraska Press.
Marshall, Bill & Johnston, C.(2005). France and the Americas: culture politics and history: a Multidisciplinary Encyclopedia. US: ABC-CLO.
Nixon, M. &Bourgeois, L. (2005). Fantastic reality: Louise Bourgeois and a story of modern art. US: MIT Press.
Thomson, M. (2007). Artist. US: Global Media.