Louise Bourgeois (French, born 1911) Nature Study: Eyes, 1984 Pink and white marble on steel and wood base, 20 x 45 1/2 x 31 1/2" George B. and Jenny R. Mathews Fund, 1984 © Louise Bourgeois / Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY

Why do adults say, "Look at me when I'm talking to you!" Why is it so hard to look someone in the eye if you're telling a lie? Why is making eye contact so important in many aspects of our daily lives? Louise Bourgeois believes that eyes do much better than words or movements in expressing feelings. This can be very helpful, unless you're trying to hide your true feelings! It's much more difficult to prevent your eyes from showing joy, sadness, surprise, anger, or disappointment than it is not to say anything about it.

This sculpture is made up of three parts: the wood and metal base, the marble "face," and the eyeballs. The eyeballs are not attached to the sockets, but rest just inside them. If the face were lifted up, the eyeballs would roll away. For Ms. Bourgeois, this would represent you lost control, the same way your eyes give away something you're trying to hide. Losing control can lead someone to become trapped in a situation they don't like, just as the eyeballs seem to be trapped in the marble face. Can you think of a situation where the look on your face told more than you wanted someone to know or got you into trouble? How would you describe the expression of the eyes in the sculpture?

Ms. Bourgeois has created many sculptures of eyes. Some are made of wood and others of stone. Bourgeois uses stone for what she feels are important statements, because stone lasts for a long time. The color stone she chooses helps to create the mood for each piece. For example, she chose pink marble for this one because it seems feminine to her. The pockmarks and bumps all over the surface were made on purpose; they are there to remind us of life's problems and their solutions.