neon

Tracey Emin
Emin’s art is one of disclosure, using her life events in works ranging from storytelling, drawing, filmmaking, installation, painting, neon, photography, appliqued blankets and sculpture. Emin exposes herself, her hopes, humiliations, failures and successes in an incredibly direct manner. Often tragic and frequently humorous, it is as if by telling her story and weaving it into the fiction of her art she somehow transforms it. By using themes that one can easily encounter around us, such as female sexual life, sensibility, female’s unique experience, she visualizes women’s experiences, including hers, that are personal and yet cannot be verbally expressed and brings them to the arena of public opinion.

Yesterday, while strolling around Samcheong (a lovely neighbourhood in Seoul, lined with small art galleries, restaurants, and shops), Carlos and I popped into the Arario Gallery. Lucky for us, the modestly-sized space was celebrating their 20th anniversary with quite a fantastic exhibit, including a neon piece by British artist Tracey Emin. I really love neon lights and the atmosphere they create - kind of tacky, but so pretty when removed from their usual context (fun fairs, casinos, sleazy stores, etc). I especially liked the piece shown at the gallery - Life Without You Never. I don't know, it just made me really happy.