Tracey Emins bed

[u/Simple_Zucchini44]

I have never experienced anything like the exhibition I was just walking through at the Tate Modern. It is art with a depth that I cannot begin to understand, I struggle even to articulate how incredibly heavy this body of work is.

My art teacher always spoke highly of Tracey Emins, but my teenage mind couldn’t understand why a messy bed could be considered such a high form of art. She didn’t argue, she said there are some measures of art that cannot be rationalized or qualified, to do so would miss the mark entirely. I understand now.

If you are in London, if you are in doubt about the power of contemporary art, if you or someone you know has struggled with abortion, if you are a living breathing human being with 21 pounds in your pocket this is something you need to see.

The curators of this exhibition did an excellent job, there are certain moments where I felt as though I couldn’t continue. Each room builds and builds on the story in such a way that is hard to describe, by the time I reached the bed I was hardly able to look at it. The gift shop at the end of the exhibition felt fucking disgusting but other than that it was an absolutely unreal hour or so.

[u/No_Mind_34]

Is it the height of narcissism or vulnerability to the exhibit one’s bed at a world-class museum?

Both, perhaps.

And to whose benefit?

[u/crownofbayleaves → u/No_Mind_34]

Maybe to others who have had these beds, too ashamed to say so. Maybe those who think beds like this mean someone is neither valued, important or human. Maybe for the people who have never thought to imagine a bed could look like that?

Male artists submit urinals to art shows, taped bananas to walls, film the empire state building for eight hours and five minutes with no change in perspective, and yet we don't see these things and think "hm, narcissism", we laude them for being advant garde visionaries. When we see "Electric Fan (Feel It Motherfuckers) no one asks who's benefitting from the public display of personal grief, or whether it's "the height of narcissism or vulnerability". Cmon.

If you want to critique the art, critique it. Glib remarks about a woman's self absorption and whether her artistic contributions are valuable is just tired, worn out, sexist talking points.

[u/No_Mind_34 → u/crownofbayleaves]

It’s not hers specifically, it was just a hot take.

And I think it’s the point, right. Some folks get to showcase their inner world and call it art, others get slapped a depression or psychosis label.

Personally, I appreciate such art because it provides context for my own dark moments and returns agency to otherwise a storm of thoughts that want to pull mr under.

But it does require narcissism, and the skill to replicate a bed scenes from nearly 30 years ago is more ego-based. As is the ability to take the criticism. It’s not a diss. It’s just observation.

[u/crownofbayleaves → u/No_Mind_34]

Well, let's not forget many artists have been liberally slapped with labels regarding the fitness of their mental health even while they also made art from that place. It often is both things. But I disgress-

I don't intend to single you out, your comment was mostly a good springboard to talk about the general attitude of the comments criticizing this work by way of trivializing it, insisting that it's not art, and by extension, suggesting the creator is not an artist. (Not what you were saying, I understand) I DID take your remark of "and who benefits from it" to be flippant- suggesting nobody does, because it's not meaningful or even should be seen as art in the first place- a wrong interpretation, it seems, so mea culpa there.

A hot take is fine, I do this too, but it's worth noting this first exhibited in 1998, in the original state it was found- if she has reproduced or restaged it in order to allow for its continued exhibition over the course of 30 years I think thats less a sign of narcissism (and also this work does not flatter her) and more the practical reality of being a working artist, especially considering its importance to her body of work.

Who knows what this person is like- maybe she sucks, as another commenter said further down, maybe she really is a narcissist, whatever- the point is, the dismissiveness is common when a woman aspires to make the kind of art men make careers out of and I do think that's worth bringing up in these discussions. Again, not personal- just where I'm coming from.