Tracey Emin - Love Is What You Want

Tracey Emin has been a favourite artist of mine for years and I am fascinated and deeply affected by her work.

She held a retrospective exhibition over the summer at the Hayward Gallery in London which included work from every media and phase of her career. It was a huge exhibition which included her blankets, sculptures, neons, films, furniture, assemblages, drawings, paintings, photographs and writings. 

It was centred around lost innocence and childhood as is much of her work.

It was amazing to see so much of her work all in one place and to be able to get up close to it and see what real skill is involved in making the pices. Each one of her huge blankets is painstakingly hand sewn and the sculptures nailed together by her own hands.

The works that particularly left an impression on me were her blankets and her work relating to the abortions she had and the children she lost. 

I was also deeply affected by a sculptural piece that was almost 'hidden' on a roof terrace. It consisted of three bronze sculptures hidden in opposite corners of the roof terrace, one was a little teddy bear (see below)

"Baby Things" 2008, Emin

 I would like to use the delicate craft methods Emin uses in her crochet work and also the texture contrasts she uses in her blankets within my work. 

Emin describes these pieces of infancy and childhood innocence as "tumbleweed amongst the urban mishmash of society". 

"You forgot to kiss my soul" Neon work, Emin

I also love the slogans that Emin has created in her neon works as they are a snapshot in time that conjures up the feeling of heartbreak and betrayl. I think Emin is an incredible artist and this exhibition really affected me and left me feeling vulnerable and exposed.