Louise Bourgeois' Spider: The Architecture of Art-Writing
Despite its reasonable cost, beautiful appearance, and thesis  that "art must be understood in relationship to the present time  of viewing," Louise Bourgeois' Spider is disappointing. In an  attempt to elucidate Bourgeois's (1911-) 1997 masterpiece, "The  Spider," this highly technical book sets methodological  interpretive barriers between the viewer and the sculpture. As a  result, this volume may be of interest to specialized libraries  but is not suitable for general collections serving readers  wishing to acquaint themselves with the wonders of Bourgeois's  art. Readers should instead see the article Bal (literature,  Univ. of Amsterdam and Cornell Univ.) contributed to Louise  Bourgeois: Memory and Architecture (LJ 3/1/01).Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.