As I perused this list of controversial works I came across many different ones that I loved, hated, and a few I laughed out loud to; but for some reason I kept coming back to Tracy Emin’s ‘My Bed’ that was made in 1998. Maybe it’s because it looks so similar to my own bed, maybe it’s because of the carefully planned objects, and maybe it’s because of the fact that it has a color scheme but ‘My Bed’ is filled with so many small details and distinctions that really show a window into Tracy’s life in a fantastically real way.
I connect with this piece on a personal level, but it is clearly a perfect example of Open Definition. If Marcel Duchamp can put a urinal on its side and call it art, then Tracy Emin can show what her bed looks like. It’s raw, it’s representative of her life, and it shows a set of emotions that could make some people uncomfortable, but can also give some people a form of connection. A messy room is something anyone with depression is no stranger too, and looking at the different items scattered in this piece, the unmade bed with stockings laying on top, the empty vodka bottles, old slippers, the cartons of cigarettes, the carpet littered with trash, pills, and empty candy boxes ending with a cute little puppy plush on the floor is such a deeply emotional array of items.
Personally, I cannot see a reason to have this work censored. I am someone who believes that art should never be censored but instead be given a warning if the work can be seen as controversial, but this piece is (in it’s essence) simply a bed with some items around it. We aren’t witnessing anything dramatic, harmful, hateful, or violent. We are simply seeing a glimpse into this artists life, a life that many people can relate to. If you take a look into some of Tracy’s other works you can see how this piece really fits in. This is part of her style, showing raw, real, and unedited examples of life. I find a true beauty in that, and it gives me inspiration to be real and honest in my own art.
Work Cited
Jones, Shelley. “I Interviewed My Dad about Tracey Emin’s ‘My Bed’.” Huck Magazine, 2 Apr. 2015, www.huckmag.com/art-and-culture/art-2/interviewed-dad-tracey-emins-bed/.
I like how you compared this work to Marcel Duchamp’s urinal as it gives more credence to why you classified this in the Open definition and to why it would be art; if “Fountain” can be art, my can’t this. I also want to agree with your points on the emotion behind this work and how it should not be censored. I agree that everyone has had a messy room or bed at some point and that it created a feel of familiarity and something people can connect to. I also agree that this work should not be censored, especially compared to other artworks that exist. There is nothing inherently offensive about this work.
I agree Julia, this piece should not be censored . To be honest, this is probably everyone’s bed due to us college students having the run around when it comes to classes, jobs, and other priorities. When it comes to artists and their work, some people do not realize that they are human and what we see in this bed is nothing we aren’t familiar with. I also agree that Marcel Duchamp and Tracy Emin share the same idea as they are an open definition of art.