We arrive at London Bridge and walk the back streets behind Guy’s Hospital to the White Cube Gallery. These streets are familiar to me.
I’ve followed Emin for years, long before I got interested in art and drawing, I’m reasonably au fait with her work, ideas & bio. At the show I was explaining how I had box of media cutting of thing I was interested in, it contains some on Emin’s works, I’d annotated some.
Emin is not to everybody’s liking, I listened to the anger from fellow artists when she became Professor drawing at the Royal Academy. We all have different ideas on what constitutes a “good drawing”
Leaving the gallery and sitting down to coffee it was immediately apparent the exhibition has split the room. I had not been suitably impressed by the show – the other part of the split room, the part of room that’s more familiar with Guy’s Hospital, is visibly moved.
“This is what happens when your bed becomes the extent of your world”.
(Following a diagnosis of aggressive bladder cancer in 2020, Emin underwent major surgery).
The show was obviously very powerful and I had missed the point. Can’t see the wood for fixating the process of the trees. . .
(My story about learning my great-aunt was born in Snowfields, where we were, rung more than a bit hollow).
Hi Gareth
As you touched on, Tracy is certainly a Marmite artist. You either admire her work, or don’t. You are no doubt aware of what Brian Sewell thought of her artwork, but I don’t necessarily agree. It all comes down to what one regards as art and there is a multitude of views. In my humble view, artwork should inspire one to thoughts one would not normally contemplate. Tracy’s artwork certainly does that. However, whether they are thoughts that one would rather not contemplate are quite another thing. In retrospect I’m open to anything, even Banksy .
Kindest regards
Derek
Thanks for the comment Derek, it’s interesting, I think your response is what the work is striving for.
I’m not sure it resonated with me. I’ve read & seen a lot of what she’d said about the cancer experience & the show she was going to make as a result.
I think I might have built it up to be “better”. This felt like a bit of a visual misery diary. Which in itself is interesting, to me, as previously my initial reactions to her shows have been reserved. . ?