Articulating authenticity through artifice: the contemporary relevance of Tracey Emin's confessional art

摘要

Confessional modes of expression permeate contemporary media and have become an integral part of celebrity self-presentation. For Tracey Emin, confession is particularly significant as it is both a crucial ingredient of her creative inspiration and also responsible for her status as one of Britain's best known artists. This paper seeks to explore the appeal of Emin's confessional art and examine her media positioning, whilst considering questions centering on the degree of authorial mediation and its effect on the “authenticity” of her work, together with the implications for its reception. Drawing on Foucault's observations on the relationship between confession and truth established in the Middle Ages, it seeks to identify why confessional art captivates the public imagination and what it is about Tracey Emin's art that resonates with her audiences.