Woodcut on newspaper
c.1984
60 x 41 cm
Newly framed with UV art glass
 
A rare and compelling early work by Tracey Emin, this piece captures the raw immediacy and emotional force that would come to define her later practice. Executed in woodcut on newspaper, the piece is a good-sized composition for such an early experimental work. The print already reveals hallmarks of Emin’s enduring visual language: expressive, almost primitive figuration; a sense of vulnerability; and a direct engagement with the human form. Its use of newspaper as a support underscores the transient, everyday materials that Emin would later revisit, while the graphic, tactile surface hints at the emotive directness central to her practice. Newly framed with UV-protective art glass, this rare piece offers a compelling insight into Emin’s evolving style, standing as both a document of artistic experimentation.
 
Tracey Emin (born 1963) is best known for her intimate, authentic, autobiographical style exploring all elements of life. Emin puts herself into her artwork and gives a glimpse into how she views herself and her world, and her experiences and emotions - often difficult or expressive topics that viewers can relate to. Her work ranges from neon to drawing, painting, printmaking, sewing, photography and sculpture and has been exhibited extensively internationally. Tracey has been widely recognised for her work including being nominated for the Turner Prize, appointed a Royal Academician and a Professor of Drawing at the RA, appointed CBE and she represented Great Britain at the Venice Biennale in 2007.