Tracey Emin commissioned for neon work in Margate
One of the most prominent and controversial artists of her generation, Emin is known for her intensely personal artworks which draw directly on her lived experience. Born in London in 1963, Emin famously spent her childhood and teenage years in Margate and her formative experiences in the town have provided the inspiration for much of her later work.
Emin who is most well known for her "my bed " piece has been commissioned by Turner Contemporary to make a new work for Margate. The piece "I Never Stopped Loving You" is a neon text for the facade of Droit House, one of the most distinctive buildings on Margate seafront. In effect a love letter to Emin's home town, the pink neon sculpture will remain in situ from 1st of May onwards and also marks the countdown to the opening of the new gallery building in 2011.
Emin has been working with neon since the late 1990s and her text pieces in the medium, always written in her own unmistakable hand, are among her most powerful and confessional works. These pieces typically deal with love and sex and range from graphic, uncompromising statements to more romantic expressions of regret. The neons also elegantly combine two crucial aspects of Emin's practice, namely her use of drawing and the written word, which features in everything from her monoprints and paintings to her celebrated appliqued blankets.
Talking about her new work for Margate recently Emin said, 'Margate needs neon to bring it back to its former glory. Everyone who is associated with Margate, whether it's their past or their present, should never stop loving Margate. This neon is for everyone that knows that Margate is a truly beautiful place.
Tracey Emin will be revealing the piece personally on the 30th of April at 7pm.
I Never Stopped Loving You is commissioned by Turner Contemporary with the support of Thanet District Council.
