Story of a Woman

Hundreds of horizontal blood-red, rhythmical lines like those written by hand on paper, appear on a stretched canvas. The canvas is accompanied by a piece of paper (part of the 94 work), meant to be displayed with the canvas like a museum label, with the words “no baby” typewritten repeatedly in rows, and the words “yes baby” subtly and only sporadically interrupting this pattern. Distinguished author and artist Louise Erdrich narrates Story of a Woman through painting and prose, with the same attention to detail, tone, and cadence as found in her novels. Story of a Woman is a reflection of being a woman and bearing children as represented by rhythmical brushwork and repetitive text. Together, they form a powerful and universal statement about the nature of womanhood.