Cat. No. 666/B/II
To Unravel a Torment You Must Begin Somewhere, no. 8 of 9, component B, from the series, What Is the Shape of This Problem?
- State/Variant:
- Component B: state II of II
- Date:
- 1999
- Themes
- Words
- Techniques
- Relief
- Support:
- Smooth, wove Arches paper
- Dimensions:
- sheet: 12 × 17" (30.5 × 43.2 cm)
- Signature:
- "LB" right lower sheet, pencil.
- Publisher
- Galerie Lelong , Galerie Lelong
- Printer
- SOLO Impression
- Edition:
- See diptych in Evolving Composition Diagram below.
- Impression:
- "AP 2" left lower sheet, pencil, unknown hand.
- Background:
- The text in this series was taken from Bourgeois's diary entries, spanning some forty years. The images are based on drawings created in the 1990s. Printer Judith Solodkin of SOLO Impression made photo-enlargements of the drawings and transferred them to letterpress plates.
- Curatorial Remarks:
- This series was reproduced on a set of note cards as a merchandise item. A tote bag merchandise item was made from no. 9.
- Description:
- Letterpress
- Installation Remarks:
- Each diptych in this series constitutes a single composition and must be exhibited in a vertical configuration as illustrated, or alternatively, with the text on top of the image. The diptychs in the series may be exhibited together or separately, and there is no required sequence.
- MoMA Credit Line:
- Gift of the artist
- MoMA Accession Number:
- 135.2000.9b
- This Work in Other Collections:
- Graphische Sammlung ETH Zürich, Switzerland
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Tate Modern, London
© The Easton Foundation/VAGA at ARS, NY
Open to compare works
Select a work in the diagram below
Component B: state II of II
1999
A
B
To Unravel a Torment You Must Begin Somewhere , no. 8 of 9, from the series, What Is the Shape of ...
1999
Source
1998
Not in MoMA's Collection
Confusion
1998
Not in MoMA's Collection
Confusion
1998
Medium: Ink on paper
Dimensions: sheet: 9 × 11 7/8" (22.9 × 30.2 cm)
© The Easton Foundation/VAGA at ARS, NY
Component A
Component B
Diptych
Related Works in the Catalogue
Related Works in Other Mediums
Not in MoMA's Collection
Untitled, no. 12 of 44, from the sketchbook, Fugue
2003
Not in MoMA's Collection
Untitled, no. 12 of 44, from the sketchbook, Fugue
2003
Medium: Mixed media sketchbook
Dimensions: page: 12 x 16 1/2" (30.5 x 41.9 cm)
© The Easton Foundation/VAGA at ARS, NY
Not in MoMA's Collection
Torment
1999
Not in MoMA's Collection
Torment
1999
Medium: Lead, steel, and thread
Dimensions: overall: 27 × 25 × 1 1/2" (68.6 × 63.5 × 3.8 cm)
© The Easton Foundation/VAGA at ARS, NY
Publication Excerpts
Louise Bourgeois,
What Is the Shape of This Problem?,
New York: Galerie Lelong, 1999No. 8 of 9
To unravel a torment you must begin somewhere