[P]ingcognito

Louise Bourgeois’ iconic sculpture, “Maman,” features a 30-foot (9-meter) high spider made of bronze, stainless steel, and marble. The sculpture was created in 1999 and has been exhibited in various locations around the world. The spider has eight spindly legs, a bulbous body, and two large, shiny marble eggs held in a mesh basket at its center. The title “Maman” means “Mother” in French, and the sculpture is intended to represent the artist’s own mother, who was a weaver and died when Bourgeois was just 21 years old.

Bourgeois’ spider sculptures were inspired by her mother and her own experiences with spiders. She saw spiders as protective, nurturing creatures that also possessed a dangerous and frightening aspect. “Maman” is meant to embody these conflicting emotions and to explore the themes of motherhood, protection, and vulnerability. The sculpture has been interpreted in various ways, with some seeing it as a feminist symbol and others as a representation of the darker side of motherhood.

“Maman” has been exhibited in various locations around the world, including New York’s Rockefeller Center, the Tate Modern in London, and the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa. The sculpture has become one of Bourgeois’ most famous works and has inspired numerous imitations and reinterpretations by other artists.

Exactly 9 months before Louise Bourgeois was born…

EVENT CARD

Her Serene Highness, The Princess Vilma Lwoff-Parlaghy unveils painting of philanthropist Frederick Towsend Martin during intimate showing in her Plaza Hotel suites.
It happened on 29 March, 1911

Present: Capt. Feely, Griswold A. Thompson, Featuring: Princess Vilma Lwoff-Parlaghy, Frederick Townsend Martin.

born on December 25, 1911
Louise Bourgeois
French-American artist

born on December 06, 1849 (d. 1914)
Frederick Townsend Martin
The Millionaire with a Mission - New York City writer, advocate for the poor, and an acknowledged leader of society in New York.

People featured in this post:

Princess Vilma Lwoff-Parlaghy

Her serene Highness - Prolific portraitist of notable Europeans and Americans

It Happened on
March 29, 2002

No Such Thing is ‘a marvelous and under-appreciated cinematic revision of the Anglo-Saxon epic’; ‘the satire of No Such Thing focuses not on our remnant fear of traditional monsters, but on our numb-headed failure to fear the functional monsters our large and exploitative corporations can become—and on those of us who allow them (by watching them or paying them or simply not resisting them) to do so.’ – E. L. Risden, American scholar, linguist, poet, and writer.

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Our story begins with a young woman named Beatrice, who works for a telly network under a woman known only as The Boss. One day, she receives a recording from her fiancé Jim, who’s gone to Iceland to investigate a monster. Yes, you heard me right – a monster! Determined to find her man, Beatrice convinces her boss to send her to Iceland. But, as luck would have it, her plane crashes and she’s left as the sole survivor.

Now, this is where things get a bit…weird. You see, in order to walk again, Beatrice undergoes a radical surgery that’s downright painful. But, as luck would have it, she makes a friend in Dr. Anna, who helps her travel to the remote village where the monster lives.

But, as luck would have it (again), the villagers aren’t too pleased with Beatrice’s arrival. They strip her down and leave her as an offering to the monster himself, who’s an old, foul-mouthed, alcoholic beast that’s seen better days. Beatrice doesn’t show him any fear though, and he tells her that he’s killed her friends and might just kill her too.

The monster also reveals that he wants to die, but he’s indestructible. So, Beatrice does the only thing she can think of – she offers to help him find a mad scientist named Dr. Artaud, who’s discovered a way to kill him. But, before they can do that, they have to make a stop in New York City.

Now, here’s where things really start to get crazy. The monster becomes a celebrity (yes, you heard me right again) and the Boss stages a media frenzy. They eventually find Dr. Artaud, but he’s working for the government and they won’t let him go without a fight.

While Beatrice revels in the attention, the monster is miserable and drunk. He’s even subjected to torturous experiments by government scientists who want to figure out his secret to indestructibility. But, even with all of that, he holds true to his promise to Beatrice and doesn’t kill anyone.

Eventually, Beatrice and Dr. Artaud hatch a plan to escape back to Iceland with the monster. They make their getaway, but the government is hot on their heels. Dr. Artaud builds a machine that will finally kill the monster, but Beatrice has to say goodbye to her new friend before it’s too late.

As the machine starts up and the lights flicker, the monster and Beatrice share one last moment together. Her face flickers in his vision before the screen goes black.

And that, my friends, is the story of Beatrice and the monster. It’s a tale of adventure, friendship, and a bit of government intrigue. So, what do you think? Do you believe in monsters now?