How is the work of Tracy Emin influenced by personal experiences? Alexandra Davison. Unit 7.

Tracey Emin is a working artist born in 1963, London, England. She often is influenced by her own life experiences and uses a variety of techniques such as painting, printing, video, installation and needlework. By re-appropriating techniques – or ‘women’s work’ she tends to resonate with feminist beliefs. Her work can be seen in many private collections and public galleries across the globe.

While I am not really a fan of her work or the reoccurring themes that she uses, I am a fan of her mono-printing work, of which 2 of my favourite examples can be seen below.

Figure 1

You Forgot Who You Are, 2012, Tracy Emin

Figure 2

Her Friend the Fox, 2012, Tracy Emin

How is the work of Tracy Emin influenced by personal experiences? Alexandra Davison. Unit 7.

Emin really kick started the mono-printing technique which she was studying at University. Rather than wasting left over ink from her print making sessions, she started producing these ‘drawings’. While drinking she would often sit and produce a huge amount of drawings in one night. I am drawn to her naïve, almost child-like drawings that she creates through the mono-printing process

and think her own style matches that of the mono-prints perfectly. While those above are my personal favourites, the piece of work in Figure 3 is one that I have been particularly inspired by. Again, rather than the themes behind the work it is the practise itself which I find intriguing. As opposed to most of her other mono-printing pieces, this one stands out to me more so than the others. In the practice of mono-printing the artist would typically reduce the extra ink to prevent incidental marks to produce a crisp image (as with the pieces in Figure 1 and 2), but with this

piece Emin has captured the phrase with a lot of dark incidental marks. This kind of relaxed attitude to the process is something which has inspired me as in the past when I have experimented with the technique I have always been disappointed with the outcome due to these kinds of marks. Tracey Emin’s work as inspired me to try out print making in a way which I haven’t done before and I know now that this kind of technique will become prominent in my own work as I progress in future projects.

Although I place a massive significance on Emin’s mono-prints, the piece in Figure 4 is also something that I feel I have been influenced by. The way she uses watercolour here is something that I am very interested in, as Emin doesn’t appear to have set out to create a life like portrait – rather she uses colours and the natural properties of watercolour paint to create the impression of her own portrait. I love the simplistic style of this painting and the way she has allowed the darker shades to blend in

with the more watered-down paints. The way she has been able to achieve a likeness without focussing on details is incredibly impressive as is something that I know I will try and experiment with in the future.

Before completing this, Tracey Emin is an artist that I would typically say I was not fond of, but I am aware now that there is much more to her techniques and

Figure 4

Berlin the Last Week in April 1998, 1998, Tracey Emin

Figure 4

Berlin the Last Week in April 1998, 1998, Tracey Emin

How is the work of Tracy Emin influenced by personal experiences? Alexandra Davison. Unit 7.

laid back nature and is someone that I will be influenced by in projects to come, and indeed in my own personal studies.