Tracey Emin was born July 3, 1963 in the United Kingdom. Emin’s academic career in the arts is rather impressive. In 1980 to 1982 Emin studied fashion at Medway College of Design. She later went on to Maidstone College in 1984 to study printmaking. Emin then completed a Masters in Painting at the Royal College of Art in 1989.
Emin was a prominent member of the Young British Artistsn (YBAs) and rose to fame in the 1980’s. In 1993 Emin had her first solo art show at the White Cube in London, a contemporary gallery she continues to hold shows at. The solo show was titled “My Major Retrospective.” The show included over one hundred objects Emin had collected over the years.
In 1995 Emin’s artistic career pivoted at The Minky Manky Show curated by Carl Freedman at the South London Gallery. Emin set up a tent, “Everyone I Have Ever Slept With On Display.” The tent housed one hundred and two names of people Emin had slept with. It is important to note that the names were not only people she had sex with but also people she literally slept with, no sex. The names contained her brother, grandmother and her two aborted fetuses. The most prominent name on the list was Billy Childish, a man Emin had a relationship with from 1981 to 1985. He was an English author, artist and musician. The relationship between Emin and Childish brought about the Stuckism Movement. In response to Childish’s art, literature and music, Emin shouted at him ‘your paintings are stuck, you are stuck! Stuck! Stuck! Stuck! This resulted in the birth of the Stuckists group led by Childish.
In 1998 Emin created ‘My Bed.’ The bed was Emin’s actual bed and all that came with it. The piece is a confessional, made up of the mess Emin created after a long bedridden bender from a bad breakup. In the clutter there are vodka bottles, Polaroids, a pregnancy test, and anything else that had accumulated around her bed. By airing her dirty laundry Emin paved the way for a novel form of confessional art.
With the photograph ‘I’ve Got It All,’ Emin is able to share how overwhelmed she is with her fame while poking fun at herself. The exhibit, ‘You Forgot To Kiss My Soul,’ introduced a new medium for Emin, neon.
Tracey Emin is a master of her mediums as she continues to switch things up later in her career. Emin is and will always be a prolific artist. For she is complex, courageous, and controversial.
Artist profile published by the White Cube Gallery. Short paragraphs and a photo of Emin’s first exhibit.
An analysis of Everyone I Have Ever Slept with. Detailed explanation of the many names and relationships Emin had with the people she slept with. Also explains the importance of the piece for Emin.
Used for photos.
Article discussing Childish and Emin. Talks about their relationship and Stuckism.
Analysis article on Emin’s piece ‘My Bed.’
Bio on Emin. Timeline and detailed description of her works.
Critic review of Tracey Emin’s ‘Fort Night of Tears’ art exhibit at the White Cube in London.
January 17, 2019 interview by the Financial Times ahead of Tracey Emin’s ‘Fort Night of Tears’ exhibit at the White Cube in London.
Biography, works and exhibits done by Tracey Emin.
Exemplary research papers on contemporary artists. Emin’s portrayal of rape, sex and motherhood in the art world.
Critic review of Tracey Emin’s ‘Fort Night of Tears’ art exhibit at the White Cube in London.