Friday, August 5, 2011

Tracey Emin Lite.



Tracey Emin was my chosen contemporary artist for Contextual Studies last term. I didn't know a lot about Trace before that choice, only that she'd made some pretty cool quilts which had subverted the idea of traditional quilt making by appliquéing her thoughts and messages onto them in large felt letters. The subversive bit coming from the nature of her thoughts - angry, tormented recollections from her difficult upbringing which included several incidents of sexual abuse by her mum's boyfriend, a stranger and then a rape at age 13 by an older boy from school. Then the promiscuous teenage years ending in her reputation as a the town slut. I love that quilting is such a traditional female past time and that women throughout history have probably stitched away as therapy for whatever was going on in their lives - their anguishes and joys somehow being stitched in as they went. However here Emin actually spells it out in uncomfortable truths that meet the viewing eye. See more of her work here which includes everything from textiles to drawing, installation art and photography.
As for the CRAP quilt up top, part of the requirement for the presentation I gave on Tracey Emin was to produce a small sample of our own inspired by the artists work. I have never quilted or done any patchwork before and had only half a day spare to do this but I was driven on, I have to say, by the fun of the subversive element and the excuse to avoid writing said presentation. Alas I can find no further need for the CRAP quilt but if you think you might have a use for it let me know. More than one will result in a "giveway" style draw. Less than one will have it donated to the school fete later this year where it will be snapped up by a cheeky second grader....



6 comments:

  1. The first two things that leap to mind when I hear Emin's name are "piss bed" and "threatens to move to France because the UK dares to make her pay tax."

    If I had a Crap quilt I woud hang it on my craft room wall to remind myself not to take things so seriously. Sometimes you make something and it's simply crap. Move on.

    ReplyDelete
  2. That's so funny - I like the 'lite' version.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love the quilt - it is not very easy to be creative with someone else's style in mind, especially Tracy Emin's! I also love the buttons - a bit of your own signature style.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I love the quilt - it is not very easy to be creative with someone else's style in mind, especially Tracy Emin's! I also love the buttons - a bit of your own signature style.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Now that is cool. Hard to resist the 'prettifying' mindset and just do raw feelings I bet? Great work Jo. Kx

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks Kylie! I'm glad the class got the joke with the quilt. I guess it doesn't translate so well on the web....

    ReplyDelete