Tracey Emin: Art into Life

Tracey Emin has undergone an extraordinary metamorphosis from a young, unknown artist into the ‘bad girl’ of the Young British Art movement, challenging the complacency of the art establishment in both her work and her life. Today she is arguably the doyenne of the British art scene and attracts more acclaim than controversy. Her work is known by a wide audience, yet rarely receives the critical attention it deserves.

Tracey Emin: Art Into Life is the first academic book to examine Emin's artistic practice in nearly 2 decades. Writers from a range of art historical, artistic and curatorial perspectives investigate how Emin’s art, life and celebrity status have become inextricably intertwined. This innovative collection of essays includes the first detailed study of Emin's engagement in her art and writings of her Turkish Cypriot heritage and the first account of her early years as an artist. Emin’s intersectional identity, questions of ageing and sexuality are considered alongside debates issues of autobiography, self-presentation , authenticity and performativity. Attention to key works is accompanied by discussions of the multi-media exchanges of her work and the tensions between art and craft.

With its focus on the central themes of Emin’s art and accessible theorization of her creative practice, Tracey Emin: Art into Life will interest a broad readership from scholars and students to Emin's wide fanbase.