Tracey Emin has just won The Harper’s Bazaar “Creative Woman Of The Year” award. Good for her. Love her or hate her, she is certainly a leading female light in Britart and does a huge amount of work for charity which is very often overlooked in favour of her angst and desire to air her dirty condoms in public.
Recently I went to see her career retrospective at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art in Edinburgh. I found it utterly fascinating. Depressing but fascinating. An open expose (in the most literal sense of the word) of her life’s work thus far. Many of the works focus on her deep sense of loneliness, on the loss of her unborn children and on her self-doubt and pain. Her traumatic abortion is covered widely – I don’t think that it was realised that she was carrying twins, which must have been appalling for her. What I don’t understand is that she has a twin brother called Paul. I thought that in most cases with twins you never feel alone because there is always the other one around and yet an overriding message is “I do expect to die alone”. He doesn’t seem to be mentioned much. I’m quite intrigued about that.
Apparently her father had up to 23 children (11 that he confesses to) and he was married to another woman when her mother had her and her brother. It’s hardly surprising then that she’s a bit messed up. Not a particularly stable childhood.
I took a photo of “My Bed”:
But I don’t understand, because this is what it looked like in the original exhibition:
It’s the other way around! Which totally changes the meaning I think. We all have the side of the bed we like to sleep on and that is quite significant. Anyway, I thought art installations had to be put back together exactly like the original. Some of the general detritus is different from the original – where is the KY Jelly?
I think this photograph best sums her up. It is called “It’s Not The Way I Want to Die” and it depicts a scaled down rollercoaster from a fairground in Margate, where she was brought up. I think it should be called “Life Is A Rollercoaster” instead and be her self-portrait. Frail, unsupported and yet reckless and wild (or am I sounding like a tosser now?).
Fat, frumpy and fifty...
September 13, 2008Fascinating!! It is a must for me to get to see this, soon…no one else l know wants to go, so do give me a shout if you want to indulge again!!
I was born and lived off and on near her home town of Margate in Kent. Her old stomping grounds were familiar haunts of my generation as was her lifestyle unusual in a small sleepy mostly off season sun spot. There is much about her that I can relate to…l am sympathetic to her ;story’ and l find her quite compelling as a person.
As a lifetime student of Art History, I am drawn to the challenges of modern, contemporary and abstract art.
thanks for posting this , its reminded me to get my trip to Edinburgh sorted soon.
Fat, frumpy and fifty...
September 15, 2008btw…
please pop by later today and read this post…just for you..
http://fatfrumpyandfifty.blogspot.com/2008/09/omgosh-my-first-award.html
saz x
Berthddu Suit
September 15, 2008When I first clicked on this post I didn’t think I was going to be interested in it, but it is actually quite fascinating. I have seen some of her work in London a long time ago, and when I actually see it I realise how interesting it is. Thanks!
Janelle
September 15, 2008tracey emin rocks.! she comes to east african coast for hols every now and then and is, according to my pal who hangs out, great to be with. i LOVE your post on her. its GREAT! and pole sana (very sorry in swahili) re: the ex and not having kids in the week..man.,..they are a real drag the school weeks…and one certainly becomes a monster..at least i do and i so look forward to hols with them where we can all chill and be human again…i have booked a robinson crusoe type shack on a zanzibari white beach for half term..can’t WAIT!
love love x janelle