Tracey Emin: From Controversy To Growing Up | The Odyssey Online
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Politics and Activism

Tracey Emin: From Controversy To Growing Up

But we're still going to appreciate her younger pieces.

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Tracey Emin: From Controversy To Growing Up
The Guardian

If you're not familiar with Tracey Emin, she is an English artist, mostly known by Tumblr users for her neon works and the world for her risqué pieces. Emin has reportedly stepped away from her past and the works she has done, moving onto her future and the artwork that it holds for her. But let's step back for a step back and appreciate a few works she has done so far:

This is one painting (1996), of 97 actually, from a time that she locked herself in a gallery to be viewed for fourteen days while she made herself one with art and established harmony with painting. She could be viewed in the nude doing this.

My Bed (1998) was highly controversial. There were blood, stains, booze, and panties.

Everyone I Have Ever Slept with 1963-1995 (1995) was described by Emin in an interview as "carving out gravestones." She went on to say it was about "how many people I had slept with or been intimate with, whether it was sexually or just sleep-wise. People went inside The Tent; by the time they come out they were thinking of all of the people they had slept with, the people they had been close to, and that's how The Tent worked."



Terribly Wrong(1997) expressed just one of three events that happened during a time span that Emin refers to as, "Hell Week." This particular work, as you can see from the depiction, is about her abortion. If you are curious, she also had a big trip to the dentist and a breakup with her then boyfriend that week, also.



This is a six-minute video (1995) in which Emin discusses sex. At times, it can be a bit raunchy, but she doesn't mind calling people out, especially the men she had been with. Her sex life started at a young age, but then was soon ditched for the dancing she talks about. Not to spoil it, but it does have a happy ending.


Hate and Power Can be a Terrible Thing (2004) is based on the Falklands War. It is obvious what it portrays about her thoughts on war and the causes and effects of it.


I do not expect (2002)


The title is what it says, from 2002. Emin's vulgarity didn't just include sex; she was fond of profanity in her works, as well.


I've got it all (2000)


My Abortion (1990)

The four above are from a collection entitled, No Bedtime Story.

In an interview with CNN, Emin has said that these works are all of the past. She describes her new works as "pure." In her younger years, Emin was widely known for all of these pieces shown in this article, because of what she was showing, how intimate she was getting. She was known as the drunk on television. It was jokingly referred to as a "live television debate turned into a piece of performance art" by The Guardian.

I Cried Because I Love You is something Emin hopes to show her age in. She thinks of the works as being "mature" and showing how grown up she has become. While most people that have heard of her look on in disbelief, disgust, or admiration, perhaps she can showcase works that will show a side of her no one has ever seen. After her galleries are through, she is disappearing from the art world for a while to "make some really good decisions."

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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