Hirshhorn Museum I

Arch of Hysteria (1993)
Materials: Bronze, polished patina, hanging piece

This sculpture looks like a pole vaulter who is jumping.
Also it seems like a man is comfortable and fascinated.
However, as the title tells, it represent Hysteria which means that this shows extreme tension.
For me, image of Hysteria is women's symptom but this sculpture is more like a man.
Also because of its beautiful curved line, it gave me a sense that this is a woman.

Since Louise Bourjois' works are represent her real experience, this is the case as well.
I think that the feeling that I got from this work which is tension and comfort are two components of her life: hard experiences from childhood and release from it.
And these two component circulate as the sculpture draw a beautiful curve.