Tracey Emin’s My Bed at Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide (2011) (press release)

Tracey Emin, My Bed

In conjunction with Saatchi Gallery in Adelaide: British Art Now, the Art Gallery of South Australia will also be exhibiting Tracey Emin’s My Bed. This is an incredibly rare opportunity for Australian audiences to see one of the most iconic works of art from the twentieth century, a work which fundamentally changed the cultural landscape and altered the direction of British art into the next decade.

My Bed, a major work by one of the most renowned Young British Artists, illustrates the influence and importance of Charles Saatchi as a collector and promoter of British contemporary art. The value and excitement of Saatchi Gallery in Adelaide lies in the ‘of the moment’ aspect of the artists and works exhibited. It is anticipated that this ‘unknown’ element of the exhibition will challenge and provoke audiences to talk about the nature and importance of art, and the future direction of British art. Including My Bed in the exhibition is a way of prompting audiences to consider who will be the next Tracey Emin or Damien Hirst and demonstrating that they are witness to new movements in British art.

Tracey Emin. My Bed, (1998). mattress, linens, pillows, objects 79 x 211 x 234 cm. Courtesy of the Saatchi Gallery, London. © Tracey Emin.

My bed

My Bed is arguably the most iconic and controversial work of art by British contemporary artist Tracey Emin. Short-listed for the 1999 Turner Prize, the UK’s most prestigious prize for contemporary art, My Bed sparked a media furor and polarised public opinion. The work has also become a signifier for the ‘shock’ strategies employed by the so-called Young British Artists whose careers were launched by the Saatchi Gallery in the ground-breaking Sensation exhibition.

My Bed is an installation of Tracey Emin’s own double-bed surrounded by the detritus of her sexual exploits and self-destructive lifestyle. The sheets are rumpled and stained from use and cigarette butts; empty booze bottles, condoms and worn underwear are further signs of accumulated filth.

My Bed exists as a type of confessional art and refers to a period of suicidal depression Tracey Emin suffered after a traumatic breakup. Audiences find her honesty challenging because she shares her most personal emotions and makes her ‘private’ life ‘public’. At a time before reality TV and social media networks were a part of the everyday, the idea of playing out such tawdry truths in a public art display was seemingly incomprehensible.

My Bed is a seminal work of art. It sent shockwaves through the art world but also entered mainstream consciousness. It continues to spark vigorous debate ranging from the purpose and definition of art to post-feminist issues. A consummate storyteller, Tracey Emin engages the viewer in her candid portrayal of the most intimate aspects of her private life – in all its embarrassing glory. Audiences are relentlessly drawn to her work with macabre fascination.

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