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CELL (THE LAST CLIMB)

CELL (THE LAST CLIMB)
Cell (The Last Climb) 2008 Steel, glass, rubber, thread, and wood 384,8 × 400,1 × 299,7 cm National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa - All images are © The Easton Foundation/Licensed by SIAE 2024 and VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY. Ph.by A.Osio

Cell (The Last Climb) explores themes of transition and evolution, using architectural elements as symbols. For Bourgeois, staircases were metaphors for self-realization and psychological metamorphosis. This Cell features a spiral staircase salvaged from her Brooklyn studio before its demolition in 2005. Bourgeois designed it to connect the two floors of her studio.

The blue glass orbs symbolize a longing to transcend boundaries, reflecting the sky and embodying peace. Their transparency signifies a wish to be understood and forgiven, echoing the celestial blues of Luca Giordano’s Madonna of the Canopy at the Museo di Capodimonte in Naples, where the Cell was first exhibited in 2008.
This upward movement contrasts with the wooden spheres at the staircase’s base, emphasizing the tension between ascension and gravity. The twelve spools of yellow thread link to needles embedded in a hanging blue rubber form, representing the passing of time and life’s fragility.

Cell (The Last Climb) articulates Bourgeois’s fascination with reparation and forgiveness amidst physical and psychological constraints, blending personal themes with universal concepts.

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