‘My Bed’ is an iconic work of art. It is an artwork which splits opinions and provokes strong reactions. Tracey Emin first created ‘My Bed’ in 1998 and included the piece in an exhibition shown at the Tate gallery in 1999. The show was shortlisted for the Turner Prize for contemporary art in the same year. ‘My Bed’ is an installation made up of the artists own bed in a state of disrepair. It recreates and represents a turbulent phase in the artists life. The artwork is highly personal and contains various intimate items. Stained bedsheets, used condoms and underwear are some of the items which shocked the media and brought the artwork to the public’s attention. The artwork is brutally honest, confessional and unashamedly open. It is a self-portrait of the artist through her absence. The arrangement of the bed and objects recreate part of the environment which housed the artist and reflect a moment when she was suffering from depression and relationship problems. Tracey Emin is one the YBA’s (Young British Artists) whose work became prominent in the 1980’s and well known for its provocative style and content.
The work is part of the Tate Collection.
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