Pink Days and Blue Days 1997

Editor: Louise Bourgeois's mixed-media sculpture, *Pink Days and Blue Days* from 1997, it strikes me as both whimsical and slightly unsettling. The way the garments hang… what do you make of it? Curator: Well, consider Bourgeois's lifelong exploration of childhood trauma and feminine identity. The suspended garments – intimate items – evoke vulnerability and exposure. Do you see how the title, *Pink Days and Blue Days*, complicates a simple gender binary? Editor: It's interesting you point that out, I guess the colours clash and disrupt typical associations. But is she speaking specifically about *female* identity through clothes? Curator: Not exclusively, but Bourgeois consistently engaged with traditionally feminine crafts and materials to subvert patriarchal norms. This piece could be seen as a critique of societal expectations placed on women, the "performance" of femininity. Editor: The use of metal to suspend these fragile clothes seems like such a conscious choice; the tension really holds my attention. Curator: Exactly. The juxtaposition is key. The metal armature, so rigid and industrial, supports these delicate, intimate objects. Think about how this contrasts with the domestic space, historically assigned to women. Editor: I see that…the piece seems to question this division and makes me question all that hidden labour! What do you think the artist is trying to capture? Curator: Perhaps a longing for a lost childhood, the weight of inherited trauma, the performance of identity. Does the asymmetry and incompleteness of the garments hint at fractured narratives? Editor: Yes, like incomplete stories or interrupted lives. Now that you point it out, it's interesting how Bourgeois lets us piece it together, to finish the story ourselves. Curator: Precisely. And by placing these personal objects in the public sphere, she is pushing boundaries. Making what was once considered personal and insignificant visible and powerful. I leave with feeling, this sculpture transcends nostalgia and becomes an act of radical visibility.