Tracey Emin Analysis

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Nothing is off limits when it comes to the work of British artist, Tracey Emin. Multitalented and well versed in an array of mediums; including painting, photography, video, drawing, installation, embroidery, and sculpture Emin reveals dramatic and shocking intimate histories. Tracey uses symbolic and literal representations of intimate experiences embedded with trauma, violence, sex, and dysfunction to create a spectacle of private moments. Through the exploration of self and past experiences her work is considered to be confessional; offering a cathartic method of expression for the artist. Emin’s serious and uncensored portrayal of her life highlights the notion that art and life are intertwined. She explains this by saying, “my world is …show more content…

The work has been in the crosshairs of critics and historians since its conception in 1998. In order to understand My Bed, it is important to investigate the ontology of similar artworks and the events of the artist’s life that led to its creation. These factors along with other works by Emin can inform conservators, critics, historians and connoisseurs of art regarding the future of My Bed. Tracey Emin was born ten minutes after her twin brother Paul in London on July 3, 1963. The twins were a result of an affair between their parents, Pamela Cashin and Envar Emin, both of whom had other spouses at the time. Envar, a Turkish Cypriot, held various jobs while dividing his time between his two families. In 1966, Envar developed a successful hotel property in Margate, Kent. Tracey and her family relocated from London to the seaside town where they sustained a healthy financial balance. During Tracey’s early developmental years, she witnessed obscene behavior from some of the fellow tenants. The family’s period of prosperity came to a halt when Envar declared bankruptcy in 1972; forcing …show more content…

During this time, she met then boyfriend, Billy Childish, who she says, “was the first person in my life who showed me there was a different way of doing things: that gave me the green light to go ahead in life and art. So instead of feeling on the outside I realized that there was an outside and it was called “being an artist.” Tracey was introduced to the work of German Expressionists such as; Egon Schiele and Edvard Munch. These would remain dominant figures of artistic influence well into her career. Emin’s exposure to life as an artist led her to pursue a bachelor’s degree in art from the Maidstone College of Art in Margate. She studied under the printmaking course, graduating in 1986. The years Tracey spent at Maidstone were come of her best years.

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