Untitled, no. 2 of 3, from the series, This Need

Cat. No. 1148, unique variant 1, in 1259

Untitled, no. 2 of 3, from the series, This Need

State/Variant:
Unique variant
Date:
2007
Series:
This Need
Themes
Abstraction, Fabric Works
Techniques
Etching
Support:
panels (a), (b), (c): Smooth, wove handmade paper
panel (d): Fabric over paper
Dimensions:
plate (a): 59 7/16 × 19 3/4" (151 × 50.1 cm); plate (c and d): 59 1/8 × 19 9/16" (150.1 × 49.7 cm); plate (d): 59 3/16 × 19 5/16" (150.3 × 49.1 cm); sheet: 59 3/4 × 88 1/4" (151.8 × 224.2 cm)
Signature:
panel (d): "LB" lower right comp., stitched in red thread.
Publisher
Osiris
Printer
Wingate Studio
Edition:
Unique
Impression:
Not numbered
Background:
Benjamin Shiff, the director of the Osiris imprint, collaborated with Bourgeois in a highly experimental phase of printmaking that occupied the last years of her life, from 2005 to 2010. He first established a working relationship with the artist in the 1990s, but the late period is particularly noteworthy for the innovative and complex large-scale projects that evolved at that time. Shiff made use of professional workshops for printing, but he oversaw the creation of the printing plates as Bourgeois worked on them in her home studio. He also provided assistance as she added extensive hand additions and texts, and as she combined individual compositions into multi-panel works and illustrated books.
Curatorial Remarks:
The plate dimensions are from the impressions in MoMA's Collection. The sheet dimensions were provided by the Louise Bourgeois Studio.

The hand additions on panel (d) are on the paper, which is covered by fabric. It is thus difficult to determine the mediums of the hand additions. The hand additions might be red, white, and blue gouache or watercolor additions. There are also some spots of blue watercolor on the fabric.
Description:
panels (a): Soft ground etching, with white and blue gouache, red watercolor, and pencil additions
panel (b): Pencil
panel (c): Soft ground etching, with white and blue gouache, and pencil additions
panel (d): Soft ground etchings, with hand additions (see Curatorial Remarks)
Inscription:
panel (b): "This / need / to grow" center sheet, pencil, artist's hand.
panel (c): "obsessive miniscules éléments / géométrique circulaire patterns / repeated indéfiniment / expresses the fear not to be" lower center comp., pencil, artist's hand.
State Changes and Additions:
Matrices:
This 4-panel composition is made up of plates that were issued in 3 separate editions, which are listed below and can be seen in Related Works in the Catalogue.

panel (a): plate from "The Prey of an Anxiety"

panel (c): plate from "Incognito"

panel (d): plates from "The Chain of Events" and "Incognito"
"The Chain of Events" is printed on sheer fabric that overlaps "Incognito" printed on paper.
Installation Remarks:
This composition is one of 3 that constitute a single work of art. All of these compositions are to be exhibited together in the indicated sequence.
© The Easton Foundation/VAGA at ARS, NY

No. 2 of 3, from the series, This Need ; Euphoria

2007-2008

Unique Variants
Untitled, no. 2 of 3, from the series, This Need
Euphoria

Series

2007

This Need

Related Works in the Catalogue

Incognito
The Chain of Events
Time
Dizzy Spells
The Prey of an Anxiety
Publication Excerpts

Louise Bourgeois,

This Need,

New York, Osiris, 2007

Bourgeois's entire text for this series appears on the panels cited below.

No. 1:
I
cannot help
this need
in the morning

No. 2:
This
need
to grow
obsessive miniscules éléments
géométrique circulaire patterns
repeated indéfiniment
expresses the fear not to be

No. 3:
It
is stronger
than hunger
or thirst

French to English translations by Richard Sieburth and Françoise Gramet.
No. 1:
I
cannot help
this need
in the morning

No. 2:
This
need
to grow
obsessive miniscule elements
geometric circular patterns
repeated indefinitely
expresses the fear not to be

No. 3:
It
is stronger
than hunger
or thirst