Jean-Louis Bourgeois

Jean-Louis Bourgeois (July 4, 1940 – December 8, 2022) was an American author and the son of artist Louise Bourgeois and art historian Robert Goldwater. Bourgeois studied literature and architectural history at Harvard University.

In 1969 and 1970 Bourgeois worked at Artforum before becoming interested in the production and history of mud brick architecture.[1] He was the author of the volume Spectacular Vernacular: the Adobe Tradition (with photographs taken by Carollee Pelos)[2] which established him as an expert on the subject.[3] He owned a home in Djenne, Mali and was actively involved in architectural conservation efforts there including the preservation of the world's largest adobe building the Great Mosque of Djenne,[4] and wrote on the subject.[5] While living in Djennê, Bourgeois opposed the Talo Dam project, and became a fixture in the city's cultural life.[1] He appeared in the 2008 documentary film on his mother Louise Bourgeois: The Spider, the Mistress, and the Tangerine.[6] Bourgeois owned an adobe house in Taos, New Mexico, and also wrote on the Southwestern Native American Adobe tradition.[7][8]

392–393 West Street 6 Weehawken Street from north

In December 2016 Bourgeois announced he was giving his $4 million historic house in New York City to the Ramapough Lenape Native American nation; they intend to use it as a meeting house.[9] The building, located at 6 Weehawken Street in the West Village (also known as 392–393 West Street) was formerly a historic public market. However, he reneged on his plan.[10]

Death

Bourgeois died at his home in New York City on December 8, 2022, at the age of 82.[11]

References
  1. Alex Ulam. "The Clown. How to tell jokes that win friends and influence people in an ancient city in sub-Saharan Africa The Walrus. July/August 2004. pp.24–5 Bourgeois intends to translate the article into Funny.
  2. Jean-Louis Bourgeois, Carollee Pelos. Spectacular Vernacular: a New Appreciation of Traditional Desert Architecture. Peregrine Smith Books, 1983. ISBN 9780879051440
  3. 7 Stories of Water in a 2-Story Building by Josh Barbanel, The New York Times. Published: October 8, 2006.
  4. Deidre d'Entremont. The Djenne Project, Mali: Jean Louis Bourgeois, Coordinator. Cultural Survival Quarterly 25.2 (Summer 2001) Endangered Languages, Endangered Lives.
  5. Jean-Louis Bourgeois. The History of the Great Mosques of Djenné. African Arts Vol. 20, No. 3 (May, 1987), pp. 54-63+90-92
  6. In Louise Bourgeois: The Spider, the Mistress, and the Tangerine
  7. Ianto Evans, Michael G. Smith, Linda Smiley. The Hand-Sculpted House: A Philosophical and Practical Guide to Building a Cob Cottage. Chelsea Green Publishing, 2002 ISBN 9781890132347 p.265
  8. Bourgeois, Jean-Louis. Vernacular Architecture in the Desert. in Joseph F. Kennedy, Michael Smith, Catherine Wanek (eds) The Art of Natural Building: Design, Construction, Resources. 6th Edition. New Society Publishers, 2001 ISBN 9780865714335
  9. Smith-Slogan, Christy (December 18, 2016). "Millionaire returning $4M piece of Manhattan to Indian Tribe". New York Post. Retrieved December 22, 2016.
  10. "Millionaire reneges on promise to give West Village property back to American Indian tribe". November 2, 2019.
  11. "JEAN-LOUIS BOURGEOIS 1940–2022". Legacy.com. December 9, 2022.
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