Threads of inspiration: Fabric portraits of Female artists - Tracey Emin

You have probably heard about Tracey Emin, but if you have not, you might remember one of her most famous pieces of work, ‘The bed’.  It was literally a bed, unmade and strewn with old fag packets, condoms, empty alcohol bottles, not just on the bed but all over the floor.  It was the most intimate autobiographical still life, showing all the warts and all of life and it won Tracey the Turner prize in 1999.

Tracey has made other really important seminal works including ‘the tent’, her film, ‘why I never became a dancer’ and many more.  If you don’t know her work I encourage you to have a look.  

I first became aware of the artist in the early 90’s as I went back to University to study fine art at the London Guildhall University, previously known as Sir John Cass.  I had enrolled on a mixed media degree whilst still running my fashion sales business, Designer sales UK.  

My University was next door to Hoxton Square and the famous Lux centre that is sadly no longer there today. The Lux showed artists films and ran courses on film making as well as held talks by artists that were making work in this genre. I decided to take a short course in Super 8 film making to support my studies at Uni and met Tracey on a number of occasions at the various talks and gatherings.  Tracey was already well known in the Art world at this time as she was a member of the art movement called the YBA’s (young British artists), a group of artists who came together to exhib work including Damien Hurst and Sarah Lucas being the most famous.  

My final work at University was a twin screen film installation called ‘God, can you hear me’. My work won first prize and was accepted into a group show called ‘Sweetie - British female identity in video’, showing alongside work by Tracey Emin, Sarah Lucas, Sam Taylor-Wood (now Taylor Johnson) in 1999.  The exhibition was shown at the British school at Rome and toured Italy.

Tracey Emin has to be one of the most influential female artists of our time.  Her work is autobiographical, responding to her life.  She is fearless, courageous and has tackled subjects such as abortion, rape, incest and most recently cancer.

Tracey Emin’s early textile work was hugely influential to me as an artist.  I came from a fashion and textiles background so was excited to see this work.  Her tent was so original and exciting and the confessional nature of the work very brave, this was the 90’s london and no one was making work like this.

Tracey’s prints also excited me.  She had a style that was very fluid and always contained narrative in her work.  With Tracey’s work there seemed to be nothing held back, it was all out there for the world to see.  She laid herself bare, wide open for the world to see.

I have so much in common with Tracey Emin.  I was born in Bromley, South East London, Emin born in Croydon.  I went to Kent institute of art and design, in 1983-85 Tracey went there in 84-86. I grew up in Gravesend and Tracey grew up in Margate.

Tracey lived in Spitalfields near brick lane from early 2000, I ran my fashion business in brick lane Spitalfields from 1999 - 2014 and later we had the same boyfriend.

In 2014 I got one of my paintings into the Royal Academy Summer show called, ‘Two girls in masks’ and Tracey Emin chose my work as her one of her favourites on the BBC’s, ‘Tracey Emin’s view of the Royal Academy’s Summer show’.

Without a shadow of a doubt Tracey Emin has been a big influence on my work as a female artist and is centre stage in my pantheon of female artists who have inspired me.