Tracey Emin RA is showing at the moment in the Sir Hugh Casson room at The Royal Academy. As I’m sure most of you know ‘Friends’ of The Royal Academy are allowed to use the cafe and restaurant there. I am not a ‘Friend’ but I wanted to see the exhibition and asked to be allowed in. I was met with the heat of an enclosed, crowded room of R.A. ‘Friends’ eating chocolate and pecan brownies and sipping coffee on couches. The walls above them (towards which they had their backs turned) were covered with the most explicit open thighs and such like of the ‘Walking with Tears’ collection (soft ground etchings, monoprints and writing).
I just could’t look at Tracy Emin’s work without relating it to the context. It was both absurdly funny, surprising, uncomfortable. I’m not sure it did any favours for the work or for the people who had their back turned to it. It was memorable though.
I wonder if she agreed to put it there in order that people like me would come away with a head full of questions and an uncertain grin.