»Abstract Erotic«: art from the 1960s

In 1966, the art critic Lucy Lippard (*1937) organized the groundbreaking exhibition Eccentric Abstraction at the Fishbach Gallery in New York. Eight artistic positions were shown here that worked with unconventional materials such as latex, foam, fiberglass or wire mesh. Exhibitors included Louise Bourgeois (1911-2010), Alice Adams (*1930) and Eva Hesse (1936-1970), whose work is now being brought together again: Abstract Erotic: Louise Bourgeois, Eva Hesse, Alice Adams features sculptures from the 1960s that combine humor, abstraction and eroticism. The show is complemented by another rarity: Louise Bourgeois: Drawings from the 1960s focuses on the artist's drawings, which are rarely seen in public. Both exhibitions run from June 20 to September 14 at the Courtauld Gallery in London.

Abstract Erotic is the first exhibition since 1966 to present sculptures by the three artists together and it is also Adams' first exhibition in the UK. Around 30 pieces, including loans from public and private collections, illustrate the radical and innovative approaches the artists took to sculpture. Louise Bourgeois: Drawings from the 1960s complements the large exhibition thematically, as it demonstrates the close links between drawing and sculpture in the artist's work. Primarily abstract and produced in rhythmic movements, they are characterized by spontaneity. Bourgeois explained that her drawings are an expression of unconscious memories, which – in a reflected form – also influenced her sculptural work.