Tracey Emin

by Neal Brown

Generously illustrated, accessible, and affordable, the Modern Artists series is an essential reference for all those interested in contemporary visual culture.
Art star Tracey Emin (b. 1963) first came to public attention in the 1990s with her provocative and confrontational works. After the inclusion of the controversial "Everyone I Have Ever Slept With" in the Royal Academy's notorious Sensation exhibition and "My Bed" in the Turner Prize exhibition in 1999, she achieved a level of fame and notoriety unparalleled for an artist in recent times. Emin's use of intensely personal, everyday materials gives her work an intimate quality, combining avant-garde ideas with feminine traditions of craft. This book presents Emin's art in clear, accessible language, with full-color reproductions throughout. It provides a highly informed key to understanding one of the most hotly discussed artists at work today, responsible for some of the most iconic works of recent times.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Art History

128 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2006

Reviews

[Paula Maguire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I treated myself to this book when I was visiting the Turner Gallery in Margate - Tracey's home town - I'm kind of in love with Margate - with it's beautiful beach, The Sands hotel and the faded grandeur of a place that will never see its heyday again due to the arrival of cheap air travel. I'm a huge fan of Tracey, and love how her art is so accessible. This book puts her art into context and analyses it in relation to her life story and other artists. It was easy to read, unpretentious and lovely to have something that has good quality images of her work.

[Katy Wheatley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written in 2006, this deals with Emin's body of work to that date by theme, looking at relationships between works at different stages of her career or through her chosen media. Essays accompany a great variety of full colour reproductions of her work and smaller reproductions of works that have inspired her. What I particularly enjoyed was the sections at the end of each chapter which include Emin's own writing and interviews with her, where she talks about her own work. This is not a huge tome, but it is a great overview of Emin's career and a great place to start if you want to look at her work in more detail.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent examination of her art, and her influences like Munch and Schiele. A really good read for any fans or just for those who know of her by reputation and are curious to understand her work which is often misunderstood.

[T · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting to learn more about a modern art icon.

[Victoria Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read this I have a new found respect for Tracy Emin.