Tracey Emin's Those Who Suffer for Love.
London is filled with Art Galleries some of the best in the world and I love that most are free. London encourages culture and believes that art should be viewed by most people to get them thinking and expose them to ideas through a visual. After all art galleries are the last vestige of salons where people talk about cultural ideas via works presented before them. I myself used to believe in the idea of the 'tortured artist' yet not so any more. I believe that utilising a visceral language to convey a idea or message does not take a rocket scientist, but to use it to great effect to get people thinking and stir up thoughts is a great thing. My professor in college said, "artists make the world a beautiful place. You are given a gift to make wonder." I do believe him be it in the creative forum covering books, music and crafted sculpture to art, and design.
That being said some artists are more apt and skilful than others. Yet with a new exhibition at the Hayward Gallery on the South Bank I am left asking a question must we suffer for our art and if we do is it actually art? Is it easier to just label someone as a ill judged shit magnet. Yes Tracey Emin I am looking in your direction. Mrs. Emin was part of the burgoin Young British Artists of the mid 90's whom with the help of Charles Saatchi made media headlines with her behaviour and her labelling inadament objects art. This is a woman who has refered to her own rape as being 'Broken In", stated that she has had numerous abortions and doomed relationships with men and rumoured woman, etc etc. The there is the drinking and her typical sloppy drunk demeanoor served her ever present crooked smile. I do believe one she is an artist who has some good ideas but her life and her art have merged into one making her a tragic caricature of her own doing. I am left to ask does she seek this as a means to really create art or is it just a broken record stuck on the same track?
If I use Gilbert & George for instance, they remind me of the Pet Shop Boys, a few paintings look cool but then like the PSB the shit starts to sound the same. Tracey Emin's song is one of victim, tragedy and supposed superfulious self centeredness. Sterile, epmty and a body of work that really doesnt speak to me in volumes, but a self involved voice that is gin soaked and based on emotional stuntedness. Yeah I know I sound like a snob here but I am just basing my opinion on her work. I mean come on how and the fuck are you to respond to a woman putting a neon sign on a wall with the phrase " My Cunt Is Wet With Fear"? Now If I was in a satanic Texas whore house, sure i would have grounds for thought. My Neon Sign maker does Tracey's Neon signs as well, but I do not call my shop sign art.
When I first saw Emin's bed I thought eewe you rank bitch dirty chonies tren from left to right and she is this supposed world famous artist and she drinks absolute and chain smokes. Her life is been something of a marketing tool to which I say bravo as it has served her well, yet I do not find her work moving nor ground breaking. If her work evolved or truned a direction in which she conveyed growth I would take notice but that is still to be seen as she is continually askiing us for the answers as if she doesn;t know herself.
If you go to the 2;59 mark you can see a parody of Tracey in Beautiful People, which is very funny. Enjoy.
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