:00:20. > :00:23.Road With... Tracey Emin. Tracey Emin came to prominence in the
:00:23. > :00:27.1990s and was seen as one of the Young British Artists. She is known
:00:27. > :00:37.both for her public image and her art work, some of which is sexually
:00:37. > :00:45.
:00:45. > :00:49.explicit. Everybody knows about the tent and the bed. To make two
:00:49. > :00:52.pieces of seminal art in a lifetime is quite amazing, after that, it
:00:52. > :00:55.did not matter if I did anything ever again really. As an artist,
:00:55. > :00:58.she has divided opinion. I spent the day with her as she prepared
:00:58. > :01:08.for an exhibition. We started at her London studio. Tell me about
:01:08. > :01:14.
:01:14. > :01:18.what the day has in store? Today is quite complicated because I am
:01:18. > :01:21.installing at the Hayward Gallery but I like to come into the studio
:01:21. > :01:24.and just get everything going. I have the carpet being done upstairs
:01:24. > :01:28.in the kitchen. I would like to have a swim because I'm in a very
:01:28. > :01:36.foul mood today and I'm angry. Today is not the right time to be
:01:36. > :01:46.doing this. I'm going to try to have a swim and get rid of a bit of
:01:46. > :01:59.
:01:59. > :02:02.my anger. Buy him a bit stressed out. -- I am. That is what we're
:02:02. > :02:07.going to do. You were going to go sailing yesterday? There was too
:02:07. > :02:11.much wind. All of my physical outdoor pursuits have been
:02:11. > :02:16.scuppered this weekend. Being in your studio is a good chance to ask
:02:16. > :02:20.you about what it is like being an artist. What is it like like?
:02:21. > :02:23.a huge responsibility, not just a creative pursuit. You must be
:02:23. > :02:31.responsible for what you have already created and what you will
:02:32. > :02:35.create in the future. That is a lot of pressure. Sometimes I find it
:02:36. > :02:41.all a bit too much, but at the moment I am very happy with my show
:02:41. > :02:51.and I'm very positive about it. It is the biggest moment of my career.
:02:51. > :02:52.
:02:52. > :03:02.I am over-excited with it all. I have butterflies. Would you like a
:03:02. > :03:06.
:03:06. > :03:16.tour of the studio? There are bits of sewing around. I have been doing
:03:16. > :03:19.
:03:19. > :03:25.a series of Picasso drawings of myself. This is one of them. It
:03:25. > :03:29.looks good actually. It is the first time I have seen it. You have
:03:29. > :03:39.been doing self-portraits in the style of Picasso? Something like
:03:39. > :03:44.
:03:44. > :03:54.that. I had a private view card of one of the portraits he did and I
:03:54. > :03:54.
:03:55. > :04:04.started drawing it. I ended up drawing myself. This is my archive.
:04:05. > :04:05.
:04:05. > :04:13.All of these books, I am in. You must have this depending on your
:04:13. > :04:17.position in your career. Younger artists will not have this. As you
:04:17. > :04:19.get older, it is necessary and vital. When I die, all of this must
:04:19. > :04:29.be registered and accounted for. All of the work. Without the
:04:29. > :04:31.
:04:31. > :04:37.archive, it can't be. Two years ago, this was a hole in the ground. This
:04:37. > :04:43.is where I work and where I think. We often have board meetings here.
:04:43. > :04:53.So this is where Tracey Emin sits and draws? Yes. How many drawings
:04:53. > :04:54.
:04:54. > :04:57.would you do on a working week? don't work like that. I might not
:04:57. > :05:01.draw for three months and then I will do a hundred drawings. It
:05:01. > :05:05.depends on the mood that I am in. It is fair to say that you are
:05:05. > :05:10.prolific though? But not all the time. A lot of the time, I am doing
:05:10. > :05:20.other things. Sorting out the bookshelves or going to flea
:05:20. > :05:28.
:05:28. > :05:38.markets, looking for things that inspire me. This would inspire you?
:05:38. > :05:40.
:05:40. > :05:46.To tell the future. So this is the drawing desk and the thinking desk?
:05:46. > :05:56.I am going to have an etch press up here so I can do those. This is
:05:56. > :06:06.where I project on the wall what I am drawing. I can put my drawings
:06:06. > :06:06.
:06:06. > :06:14.up so they are not all on the floor. Would you do your thinking here?
:06:14. > :06:21.I'll do my thinking in the swimming pool in a mool in a mo is my
:06:21. > :06:25.bedroom. It is sad at the moment because I had a beautiful tapestry
:06:25. > :06:28.that hangs here usually but it has been taken away for the show.
:06:28. > :06:33.you actually live here? I sleep here if I am tired or not well.
:06:33. > :06:43.Rather than going home. It is better that I come in here and they
:06:43. > :06:52.
:06:52. > :07:02.can wake me up rather than being at home. Next week we will plant the
:07:02. > :07:10.
:07:10. > :07:20.garden. It can only be planted in the spring. It will be very nice up
:07:20. > :07:23.
:07:23. > :07:25.here. It has very strict lines. Would you like me to shut the
:07:25. > :07:33.doors? Just leave them open. This is the painting and sculpture
:07:33. > :07:43.studio. This time last week, it was completely full. But all the works
:07:43. > :07:46.
:07:46. > :07:51.have gone to the gallery. How do you decide what medium to use?
:07:51. > :07:58.depends what mood I'm in. If you were working today, what mood would
:07:58. > :08:05.you be in? I would be in a shopping mood. I think. I would probably go
:08:05. > :08:08.shopping to get some new clothes. I think clay would be quite good
:08:08. > :08:17.because you can do it and not really think about it. What
:08:17. > :08:27.different media do you use? Neon, sculpture, textiles, embroidery,
:08:27. > :08:37.clay, drawing, mono print, printing, photography, Polaroids, film, video.
:08:37. > :08:54.
:08:54. > :09:04.What else do I use? Those are the main mediums that I work in. This
:09:04. > :09:16.
:09:16. > :09:26.is my store cupboard. I really hope I have a swimsuit with me. You have
:09:26. > :09:26.
:09:26. > :09:33.to take your shoes off. Why do you swim? I get too much negative
:09:33. > :09:43.energy and I do not like it. When you go into the water, you are
:09:43. > :09:47.
:09:47. > :09:57.released of that. I like being in another element. Do you think when
:09:57. > :09:58.
:09:58. > :10:03.you are swimming? In the water, I feel light and free. Yes. I think
:10:03. > :10:06.and I count. Where have you studied? I studied at the College
:10:06. > :10:10.of Art from 1983 to 1986 with a first-class honours degree. Then I
:10:10. > :10:13.got into the Royal College of Art to study painting. I added a part-
:10:13. > :10:23.time philosophy course for a few years. I have three honorary PhDs.
:10:23. > :10:39.
:10:39. > :10:46.Dr Dr Dr Emin. Tell us about the pool. It is 18 metres and there is
:10:46. > :10:56.just enough water to dive in. It is a dream. I have always wanted to
:10:56. > :11:05.
:11:05. > :11:08.have my own pool. My swim Eilat. -- a lot. Usually when you go to the
:11:08. > :11:11.gym, you must fight off stockbrokers. I do it to relax and
:11:11. > :11:21.get some positive energy together. It makes you feel like Cleopatra or
:11:21. > :11:29.
:11:29. > :11:39.something. It is like a big bath. It is very warm. Swimming is a
:11:39. > :11:46.
:11:46. > :11:56.natural part of me. Art got me this. I have to pinch myself sometimes.
:11:56. > :12:02.
:12:02. > :12:05.Do you feel proud of what you have achieved? Not in a silly way. I
:12:05. > :12:09.know that it has the ability to inspire other people. Being an
:12:09. > :12:12.artist, you do not have to be starving, you just must be focused.
:12:12. > :12:16.The alchemy of the art and how it can transform into other things. I
:12:16. > :12:26.never try to make money, I make art. And art has made me this. The money
:12:26. > :12:28.
:12:28. > :12:32.follows the art? Yes. I think if I tried to make money I would be very
:12:32. > :12:41.good at it. It is very hard to make art. I think it is easier to make
:12:41. > :12:46.money. It is off to the Hayward Gallery where Tracey is working on
:12:46. > :12:56.the installation of her exhibition. Where was your father from?
:12:56. > :13:00.father is from Cyprus. He grew up in a Greek village and spoke
:13:00. > :13:04.Turkish with a Greek accent and English with a Greek accent. My
:13:04. > :13:13.great grandfather was from the Sudan. What about your mother?
:13:13. > :13:19.London. I was born in Croydon. did you move to Margate? When I was
:13:19. > :13:28.three. How did you first to decide to become an artist? Was it a
:13:28. > :13:34.conscious decision? There was no conscious choice. It made its
:13:34. > :13:41.decision for me. When were you first recognised by other people as
:13:41. > :13:46.an artist? People thought I was talented at school. I have always
:13:47. > :13:56.been creative and made things. I think 1997 was a big deciding
:13:57. > :13:59.
:13:59. > :14:06.We have Tracey Emin the artist in the gallery. Can you tell us what
:14:06. > :14:13.you have been doing here? I had them made as a prototype. I wanted
:14:13. > :14:22.my cat to be able to look out the window of my house. These were
:14:22. > :14:31.prototype cat spirals. I have hundreds of them in my studio. They
:14:31. > :14:36.all got broken up. They never actually worked. It did not really
:14:36. > :14:40.work. I just had them in my studio, all thrown against the wall.
:14:40. > :14:44.Occasionally I would move them around. I had a show in New York. I
:14:44. > :14:53.decided to take the cat spirals with me and to make a sculpture. It
:14:53. > :14:57.is quite complicated. It's about the different energies. If the
:14:57. > :15:01.lightning hits the wood, we would have an almighty bonfire. That was
:15:01. > :15:07.the kind of idea about the two energies coming together. It is the
:15:07. > :15:17.balance and the helix of the spiral and how it relates to the human. It
:15:17. > :15:20.
:15:20. > :15:24.is called Sleeping With You. It is about transfer of energy and love.
:15:24. > :15:31.For people who find my work a bit too much in-your-face, this is
:15:31. > :15:37.another aspect of my work which not many people have a chance to see.
:15:37. > :15:41.When I showed this in New York I got very good reviews. When you say,
:15:41. > :15:51."sleeping with you", do you mean sleeping with who? Not sleeping
:15:51. > :15:53.
:15:53. > :15:56.with you Matt. Sleeping with you as in sleeping with everyone. Sleeping
:15:56. > :16:00.with the world and entity. Understanding that there are others
:16:00. > :16:06.worlds and Other places. Are you in it or not? I am definitely in it
:16:07. > :16:12.because it is my work. Otherwise I would not have been able to make it.
:16:12. > :16:16.You see a lightning streak and a lot of spirals. It is about energy.
:16:16. > :16:20.I want to ask a little bit about your audience. Do you have an
:16:20. > :16:30.audience in mind when you make your art? No. Unless I am in love, then
:16:30. > :16:46.
:16:46. > :16:51.Do you see yourself as an entrepreneur as well as an artist?
:16:51. > :16:57.I am an artist. I have done such projects when I had been really in
:16:57. > :17:04.a tight area. To get the money to do something. One of my first ones
:17:04. > :17:09.was for people to invest in my creative potential for �10. Do you
:17:09. > :17:19.have a piece of art that you are proudest of? It varies. It moves
:17:19. > :17:21.
:17:21. > :17:26.around. It is like having lots of lovers. Having a weird love affair.
:17:26. > :17:31.Yesterday it was the neons. The day before, it was something else. Now
:17:31. > :17:36.I am in love with the wooden sculptures upstairs. Tomorrow I may
:17:36. > :17:41.be in love with all the intimate work that is in the family rooms.
:17:41. > :17:49.It varies. To make two pieces of seminal art in a lifetime is quite
:17:49. > :17:52.an amazing thing. How do you see the relationship between your
:17:52. > :18:02.public image, your fame, your celebrity, and your artwork, you as
:18:02. > :18:12.an artist? Hopefully the show will change people's opinions. There is
:18:12. > :18:12.
:18:12. > :18:20.a side of me that is making art all the time. Even if I am not making
:18:20. > :18:30.art, I am always busy and productive. I like being productive.
:18:30. > :18:30.
:18:30. > :18:36.I like feeling energised and I like making things. I have a creative
:18:37. > :18:46.soul. How do you think the next ten years will map out for you as an
:18:47. > :18:47.
:18:47. > :18:52.artist? I do not know. I may have different answers from week to week.
:18:52. > :19:01.It is the same as usual. Me and my cat at my house, me falling asleep
:19:01. > :19:04.on the table. Me getting up early. Just me, me, me. It is unfortunate.
:19:04. > :19:14.Why have you chosen to bring in your private life and personal
:19:14. > :19:16.
:19:16. > :19:22.experiences in your artwork? I do not think that is private. Love is
:19:22. > :19:26.what you want. Why is that private? It is just a statement. Women go to
:19:26. > :19:36.work, in the afternoon, they go and have an abortion, and they are back
:19:36. > :19:47.
:19:47. > :19:51.at work afterwards. They cannot tell everyone. This is wrong. I am
:19:51. > :20:01.saying that what I make is not personal. How do you see your
:20:01. > :20:01.
:20:01. > :20:09.public image? I do not see my public image, I see myself.
:20:09. > :20:13.when you read the papers... Lots of things I do not read any more. But
:20:13. > :20:16.I do know that they change people's perceptions of me. I think it makes
:20:16. > :20:25.things very difficult. On a personal level, how people perceive
:20:25. > :20:27.me. I gave a talk at the ICA the other week. I know it is impossible
:20:28. > :20:35.for me to have a normal relationship because of the
:20:35. > :20:42.position that I have put myself in, which makes me very sad. How do you
:20:42. > :20:52.define art? For me, art is an expression of myself. If my soul
:20:52. > :21:02.
:21:02. > :21:07.cannot release itself, I would If you had been an artist in the
:21:07. > :21:12.Renaissance period, who would you have been? I would have been burnt.
:21:12. > :21:19.Why? I do not think I would have survived during that period of
:21:19. > :21:25.history. I would have been too exceptionally strange. Do you like
:21:25. > :21:29.the Renaissance artists? I do. I like early Renaissance paintings.
:21:29. > :21:33.When I was younger, I would go to the National Gallery, downstairs in
:21:33. > :21:41.the basement, as it had to be protected from light. I would catch
:21:41. > :21:51.the bus to Trafalgar Square, go to the National Gallery, go inside. I
:21:51. > :21:52.
:21:52. > :22:02.would come out and imagine the next painting I see is mine. Do you go
:22:02. > :22:06.to art exhibitions? I do not do it enough. When I do go to shows and
:22:06. > :22:13.exhibitions, I am so happy. I walk around an exhibition, I read
:22:13. > :22:17.everything, in other countries, I go to museums as well. Especially
:22:17. > :22:25.when I am alone travelling, it makes me feel as if art is my
:22:25. > :22:34.friend. Do you feel that art is your friend generally? Art is my
:22:34. > :22:42.soul, it is everything to me. I would not be me. How would you
:22:42. > :22:49.describe your art? Free. I want to be a free spirit, to have a free
:22:49. > :22:55.soul. I do not want it to be censored. I always say to people, I
:22:55. > :23:04.have a conversation with myself about what I am doing. I am my
:23:04. > :23:10.first censor. I am my first judge. A lot of people do not appreciate
:23:10. > :23:15.that. A lot of people are very harsh toward me but they do not
:23:15. > :23:24.realise how harsh I am to myself. To create something and to justify
:23:24. > :23:27.continuously what you have made. At times I have to defend that bed.
:23:28. > :23:33.For the rest of my life, I will have to defend and fight. People
:23:33. > :23:38.just do not understand the responsibility. Being an artist is
:23:38. > :23:44.a great responsibility. You are putting things in the world. Some
:23:44. > :23:49.things will stay here after I am gone. People will have to protect
:23:49. > :23:57.them and vouch for them after I am gone. That is a lot of
:23:57. > :24:07.responsibility. What would you like your legacy to be? If I know what
:24:07. > :24:13.
:24:13. > :24:16.it will be. I will leave that as a legacy. People can use my museum
:24:16. > :24:19.and research. Whether people like my work or not, it will be
:24:19. > :24:24.interesting to see how a 21st century female artist operated and
:24:24. > :24:29.worked in London. It is like going to the museum in Paris. It is a
:24:29. > :24:33.beautiful museum. It will be a beautiful experience. It will be
:24:33. > :24:37.nice to see how a woman worked within that time. Do you see
:24:37. > :24:47.yourself as a rebel? No. But around about 80, I will be considered to
:24:47. > :24:59.