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To express your emotions, you have to be very loose and receptive. The unconscious will come to you if you have that gift that artists have. I only know if I'm inspired by the results.
Louise Bourgeois
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Emotional expression in art requires openness and receptivity to inspiration.

Louise Bourgeois emphasizes the importance of being open and receptive when creating art. She believes that true inspiration comes from the unconscious mind and that artists have a unique ability to tap into this source, leading to profound emotional expressions that resonate through their work.

Themes

ArtEmotionInspirationCreativityUnconscious

In practice

Example use cases

During an art exhibition, I referenced Bourgeois's quote to highlight the importance of emotional depth in artistic expression.

More from Louise Bourgeois

A work of art doesn't have to be explained. If you do not have any feeling about this, I cannot explain it to you. If this doesn't touch you, I have failed.
Louise BourgeoisRead
Clothing is . . . an exercise in memory. It makes me explore the past: how did I feel when I wore that. They are like signposts in the search for the past.
Louise BourgeoisRead
Space is something that you have to define. Otherwise, it is like anxiety, which is too vague. A fear is something specific. I like claustrophobic spaces, because at least then you know your limits.
Louise BourgeoisRead
It is not so much where my motivation comes from but rather how it manages to survive.
Louise BourgeoisRead
I always had the fear of being separated and abandoned. The sewing is my attempt to keep things together and make things whole.
Louise BourgeoisRead
It is not a torment to be an artist. It is a privilege.
Louise BourgeoisRead

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