art and biennale

I recently went to MCA to check out the biennale there. There weren't very many sculptures. It seemed to be mainly paintings or video works.
I was interested in Louise Bourgeois's works (although I didn't know they were hers at the time). These were a series of bronze and steel statues, although they looked more like concrete to me because of how they were painted. They were jumpers, stretched out. They were standing vertically upright, very long and thin.
For my biennale visit, I didn't want to be reading all the time, so I haven't read into the narrative behind these works (which seem to be present in her other works). However, I was drawn to these works because of the contrast of the materials used and the representational form. As clothing, we immediately have an expectation of texture. We are expecting softness, and something flexible, able to drape or be pulled.
This is in direct contrast with the medium of this artwork. Bronze represents an unbending, lasting strength, devoid of comfort. It is generally associated with its common use in ancient societies. This may have been the reason she has used this material. The lasting qualities of the material over time (ancient bronze items still exist today) and the lasting quality of the ancient society itself over time, may parallel her meaning. Her works are entitled 'echo', and are apparently casts of her old clothing. The concept of capturing time or preserving personal history may be central to these works.
I found the representation interesting, particularly because the items were stretched. This felt as if the tension of the item was trapped within the heavy material of the sculptures.

www.dedeceblog.com/2010/05/24/biennale-of-sydney-2010-louise-bourgeois/