The tall, spidery legs of one of Louise Bourgeois'iconic paired spider sculptures looms in the foyer of the Guggenheim Museum. It sets the tone for the comprehensive retrospective of the French-born artist's work.

The spiders are a tribute to the artist's mother, who Bourgeois says was her best friend.

Bourgeois is regarded by many as one of the most important artists working today. She's always been at the forefront of new developments in art. In her work she constantly explores new ideas in painting, printmaking, sculpture, installation and performance. She uses varied media, from wood and stone to latex and rubber.

The exhibition encompasses more than 150 of the artist's works. It walks the viewer chronologically through many different periods, styles and dimensions of her works.

Nancy Spector, Chief Curator at the Guggenheim Museum, says despite the diversity in shape, size and form, Bourgeois has always been consistent, thematically.

Nancy Spector, Chief Curator of Guggenheim Museum, said, "It stems from her autobiography about her relationship with her family when she was a child, through her relationship to her own family when she became a mother.It's about emotions and fear and guilt and love and hope and all of those topics are present throughout the work no matter which stylistic period you're looking at."

Spector has been working on the Bourgeois retrospective since 1992. That's when the museum acquired a number of works by the artist.

Even though Bourgeois has long been referred to as one of the innovative "Great Women Artists" she didn't receive a great deal of recognition in the art world until the 1970's.

Louise Bourgeois lives in New York City. She moved there from Paris in 1938. She is 96 now.

The Louise Bourgeois Retrospective runs at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum from Friday (June 27) through September 28.