Mark Lawson talking to Tracey Emin on BBC TV
To blog or not to blog that was the question…
After considering the underlying promotional benefits of yet more rubbish ‘emanating’ from our Tracey’s media circus, I realised that I just couldn’t let it lie. All too passively Lawson meanders his way through the usual questions that provide Trace with ample opportunity to drop-in references to the impressive landmarks…skipping school, lashings and lashings of alcohol, cigarettes, loadsa under-age sex (with or against her will), abortion, psychological damage, having a dad who was married to his wife for 49 years (but not her mum unfortunately), that late night Channel 4 performance, the day in 1997 that she realised that she was good at art (and then she woke up), that bloody bed, that lay tent and separating Margaret Thatcher from the Conservative Party!
But then there are the lows… failing to video the sledgehammering self-destruction of her Royal College paintings and being limited to only 3 F-words, 2 S-words and a C-word in her Independent column.
Confident that she won’t be challenged on anything too problematic (values, etc.) Trace smiles her way through the 60 minutes and reels off-the-peg answers now so highly polished its near impossible for her to get a grip on her own reality. Once more the powerful glorification of Emin-world and success built on calculated ignorance is full-on. Contradiction abounds and at times it is near impossible to follow her flow, the delivery is often disjointed. I would so like to think that this is a magnificent ruse acted out to an incredible level of expertise, but I fear not.
“That’s the wonderful thing about art… it has so much.. um…like…especially now in the 21st century… the fact that there is now very little spirituality left in everyday context, the fact that there’s very little quietness left or things to contemplate… people don’t go to church any more you know really or whatever… there aren’t enough parks… there isn’t enough nature… art can definitely be that for a lot of people and that’s why it’s so important”
Couldn’t have put it better myself Trace… or could I?
Emin states that “life is complicated and full of contradictions” but maybe it’s not quite as difficult as she sometimes makes out. Cashing-in on weakness and misfortune does seem to alleviate some of the pain. But the thing that depresses me most is that this exercise is yet another lost opportunity for Trace to assume responsibility and identify truly inspirational values. Instead, we are subjected to more storytelling to perpetuate the Emin myth.
The reality is that Tracey Emin positively encourages some pretty bad values and has throughout her career produced pre-conceived ‘shock’ output, much of which has been tediously mundane, lacking genuine content and devoid of quality. In the interview, she goes to great lengths to convince us of her credentials:
“To make a seminal piece of art is really difficult and especially if you’re a woman, you know… so much has been done before and the bed worked. it got people arguing to and for it” – I think she meant to say ‘for’ and ‘against’ it.
“It just comes out of some magic, its incredible, its like definitely some alchemy involved” - I’m convinced she means alcohol.
And yet she continues to be rigorously courted by a greater part of the establishment and celebrated art mafia. Why? Because they needed someone, anyone… and she’ll do for now. We could discuss at length exactly when the disproportionate elevation of ‘artist to rock/pop star’ kicked-in and goodness knows there have been plenty, but surely it is time to (dare I say it) make valued judgements. That is to say, evaluation based on “what you see is what you get” as Emin rightly says. So what do we hear and what do we see? What do we get?
On education…
“I probably could have got O’levels, winged it I’m sure”
“It was just me in life, doing what I wanted to do”
“…obviously I was quite bright”
Sure you was Trace, bunking off school for two years was a clever move and it sends out a great message to kids. Gawd blessya.
Amusingly she identifies the CSE as “Secondary Certificate of Education”
On celebrity…
“It’s wrong for anyone to say things about me or anybody in my position”
“When I was young and before anyone knew who I was, I made mistakes”
“I wouldn’t be here where I am now if I had just ordinary parents”
“Damien (Hirst) and I have changed young peoples perception of what an artist is”
Absolutely, we now know that bestist artists must be media-attention-seeking and shameless self-promotion pitchers. It’s surely only a matter of time before these atributes are packaged as a ‘Never mind the quality’ degree course… as if it doesn’t already exist in various forms under other titles.
On work…
“I might have used the visual part of my brain so much, or the imaginative side and creative side of my brain so much the other bit might have just died”
“I am really an artist for the public even if it has come about via rich collector’s houses”
“I love art, and art loves me”
“My art all starts with a ‘title’, it may look very impressionistic and naive… there’s a lot of thought that goes on behind it”
“He (Brian Sewell) just refuses to acknowledge my existence… I wish more critics would do that and just leave me alone”
Of course Trace, those naughty critics don’t help at all.
On Emin…
“… when I gave up drink for a while, I was the most boring person in Christendom”
Crikey that Dutch courage can get you a long way… pass the sherry.
Not quite sure what you see? I see, I hear and I get an incredible feeling of sadness. Sadness that such arrogance bordering on delusion of grandeur is championed and equally sad that responsibility and humility are awol. Media spotlight drives team-Emin and that tends to dilute any substance lurking below.
Lawson winds up “You seem much calmer and happier”… Emin replies “I think because I’m older”… I think it could be the bank balance but wait, there’s more to come – quite literally. Tracey’s future work “It’s like I’m researching my mind”.
Oh dear.
Note: This interview is no longer availabe on iPlayer, but I would suggest that it’s worth catching the Radio 4 prog ‘Wild Billy Childish’ on iPlayer which includes an interesting Emin-factor.
Spot on Max, for a persons values to be of throwaway importance next to the perceived media-value of their ‘cult’ seems as tragic as it is now common. Emin is a stark example of this.
“Damien (Hirst) and I have changed young peoples perception of what an artist is”. Dear God, no…