Hate and Power Can Be a Terrible Thing,
2004
Appliqué blanket, 2700 × 2060 × 3 mm

If standing in an interminable queue for tickets to the Turner/Whistler/Monet exhibition at the Tate seems a little on the daunting side, there are many other delights to be savoured in the gallery. Just past Sir Anthony Carós collection of massive instruments and sculptures, is the Tate's room dedicated to works by Tracey Emin.

This much-maligned “celebrity” (who seems to have a penchant for masochism when the press are around), is an artist of much innovation and sensitivity. Many of her creations are intimately autobiographical, purposely exploiting her own personal traits and spotlighting them for the world to peruse. Hate and Power is less overtly personal than most, although it is an accurate reflection of her views on war, aggression, and megalomania.

Other works on display include the amusing self-portrait Outside Myself — a photograph of her in Monument Valley reading "Exploration of the Soul", and The Last Thing I Said to You was Don't Leave Me Here II — a nude self-portrait taken in her beach hut on the Margate coast.

These and the other works on display are delightful personal statements, exuding both originality and artistry of a very high order.

©  Straight Words, 2005