Afternoon:
14°c
We can always rely on Tracey Emin to get us talking about sex, whether we're remembering all the people we've ever slept with or the state of our stained bed sheets.
This time her hot topic is female masturbation (but, hopefully, not until we get home) as featured in her latest exhibition, Those Who Suffer Love, the centrepiece of which is an animation of a woman pleasuring herself.
I would wager that at some point in their lives most women have denied that they ever do it (whether disingenuously or not), either out of shame or decorum.
So, I went along to the exhibition at White Cube in Mayfair to ask the visitors, fresh from their sexual imagery encounter, whether the subject is still a taboo.
NO
Christina, 30, vet nurse
I talk about it with my partner and he thinks it's good because then you know yourself and can enjoy sex better. Some friends speak really openly about it and I know many of them have vibrators.
YES
Anna, 30, graphic design student
Young women often find the idea of masturbation repulsive. I think it should be a private thing, although seeing it on display like this helps me feel more free about it.
NO
Orban, 21, film-maker
Generally we are much more open about sex these days and women are far more expressive about it — probably more so than men.
YES
Leah, 24, artist
Yes. Men masturbating is thought of as funny, whereas women are seen to be displaying an overt sexuality if they do it. It's only in groups of women that it can be talked
about openly.
NO
Philip, 44, director, British Art Academy
It shouldn't be. Women do talk about it but there seems to have been a change in attitude in the past five years. Men are now more ready to understand women and women are keen to let men understand them.
YES
Graham, 43, college manager
Masturbation generally is seen as something to be ridiculed and joked about, whether male or female. It's derogatory to call someone a “wanker”, after all.
NO
Rupert, 51, art dealer
Hopefully you do it in private, so whatever you do behind closed doors is up to you. As a gay man I'm not the best person to answer, but since they have to put up with straight men, women should go for it.
NO
Alice, 30, media
It's totally accepted. As I've got older, people have talked about it more, and now that sex shops have become posh boutiques it isn't underground or seedy these days.
YES
Melissa, 44, artist and lecturer
I wouldn't talk about it with my girlfriends or boys. I don't consciously think it's because I can't but it would never occur to me to mention it.
Reader views (32)
Hm, everyone feels the need to give their five penn'orth, don't they?
- K, England
Piqued have you googled malevolent person?
You might learn something, hate you to die fully ignorant
- Gary, Brentwood 1
It’s not now important whether these scribblings are deemed "good", or "art", or even "good art" - the important thing in these cases is who produced them.
Neither does it matter whether these scribblings or any other of her efforts take days or seconds to produce - if those in the market for art believe they are "masterpieces", then those in the "know" will believe it too, that’s how it works.
To define what is "art" is as impossible as to define what is "good"- it’s in the eye (or ear) of the beholder.
No point therefore in being irritated by heavily publicised rubbish portrayed as art by the sycophantic or pretentious - they all have their own axe to grind/ buck to make/peer group to impress ( i.e point of view).
- Darius Midwinter, London UK
Gary, 'glade' I checked back. I read over what you said a few times and it still makes no sense, anyway, I decided to post as I've run out of ether.
You're not Susan Boyle using a pseudonym are you?
- Piqued, London
you guys, leave Tracey alone OK. Tracey call me.
- Boludo Again, london
Using misspelt words when criticising modern art (eg 'Dumned,' although I confess I like it's resemblance to 'Damned') is as bad as when modern art historians/ academics invent new words to exclude other people from their conversations. For what it's worth I think the drawings are absolutely fine, although to attach much importance to them would be silly. They're not particularly ground-breaking in conception or construction and the problem I have with Tracy Emin's art is that her ego/ persona overshadows what she has produced. Like when I see Jim Carrey in a film- his performance can be as good as he likes but he'll never be as convincing as an unknown. (I realise I din't need that bit of explanation at the end but I couldn't help it.)
- Dancemeister, huddersfield, england
keith: "The porn on the wall of my daughter's school toilet is more artistic than the rubbish Emin is touting as art"
out of interest, how often do you visit the girls' toilets at your daughter's school? do you just go there for the porn?
- Jonr, London, UK
kudos to the commenter who complained that art is being "dumned down". i totally get where you're coming from with that. top marks!
- Jonr, London, UK
Piqued = a feeling of wounded pride.
In your self-righteousness you have given away more than you thought you had. Either post on subject or find the ether. Your views are little more than self pity and given what you have posted disturbing.
- Gary, Brentwood 1
Gary, 'malevolent?' Is that the longest word you know? In this context it makes no sense, you see.
Your views are neatly summed up in your inability to punctuate/write coherently.
Go back to school, and while you are at it, study a spot of art history after you've had a shot at English.
- Piqued, London
Nearly missed this one glade it was still in the top comments links;
Piqued I am honoured out of all the observations on this subject which mostly agree what a malevolent person Emin is. That you have chosen mine to comment about, shame yours offers nothing of true value and if you think I am the kind of person to take offence your judgement is as bad as you have thus far demonstrated. My comment was not troll bait just my honest opinion.
Read what I have posted and I never claimed to be anything as you wrongly suggest unlike the direction you are comming from. GE Piqued is best left exposed alone and in the cold, please ignore and never rise to the bait and give them satisfaction
- Gary, Brentwood 1
'Only a moron would use the world Art...'
'World? 'You mean 'would' surely?
Oh dear.
- Piqued, London
Piqued a friend of the Chav?
Only a moron would use the world Art and Emin in the same sentence.
- Ge, Kernow
Despite the (vast number of) moronic comments that precede this Tracy remains a talented and exciting artist.
Just a shame she’s still kicking around topics usually covered by foundation students.
You can do better Emin, don’t let yourself down and give people like Gary from Brentwood an excuse to think he’s the last word on art criticism –honestly mate, I nearly broke a rib laughing at you.
- Piqued, London
A great idea poorly executed, why create a taboo out of something everyone does.
- Jessica, London
Lots of negative comments here: let me tell you that if one approached God and ask him: tell me what is the ultimate 'Truth of things', he would reply: go and ask Tracey emin, because she would know. So if you can't 'see' the Truth, best you not show it to everybody reading these comments.
- Boludo, london
Urgh, the words sex and Emin in the same sentence have made my gag reflex kick in, I'm feeling decidedly unwell.
- Bob, Cheam
Max very well said. This is not pioneering piece of drawing except in the juvenile way it has been drawn and the noticeable actuality Tracey is yet again seeking to exploit the shock dynamic rather than embrace the skill of an artist which has always been dubious in her case. The subject matter does not offend but the alleged artist does
- Gary, brentwood
Listen guys and girls: get hold of yourselfs Ok. some things are best kept private.
- Boludo, london
Tracy Emin?...in the grand scheme of things she is a lightweight and in years to come people will think ' how did she make a career?'...
- Jonnie Of Brixton, brixton,london,england
If Gordon Brown and New labour reflects the political chaos of UK politics. Then Tracy Emin and her Ilk reflects parts of the dumned down nature of 'Art' in todays UK. Totally chaotic in all its aspects - this is what people call Art, and are prepared to pay Big Bucks for.
- Uncle Vanya, Chelmsford England
The emperors new clothes - that's what this "art" is. People like Tracey rely on people's insecurities and fear of being called "ignorant" or "old fashioned" and as a result we have a bunch of art-lovers walking around pretending to understand something that others don't and thinking that they are somehow enlightened.
Well, I am confident enough to not be afraid to call it what it is: "rubbish that doesn't take much talent to produce".
- Max, London
Of course its art, just because it may not sit comfortably alongside your ideas as to what a drawing should be, it shouldn't dismissed If you knew anything about the woman then maybe you would have a sliver of understanding about what her work is for and maybe you wouldn't be so quick to judge. It may not be to your taste but to write it off as rubbish is an incredibly ignorant and old fashioned approach to something that clearly, none of you know anything about. The reason people often dismiss work is because they're too lazy to read about the artist or the piece itself which can actually be a very useful aid to gaining a greater understanding of the work.
Art has changed. For better or worse, its more exciting and the boundaries are becoming more and more hazy, its far more accessible and its opened the door to far more liberal practices, as a result the artists are free. We may have lost classical values but the work has evolved and in cases such as Tracey Emin, it enables us to see inside a really interesting and misunderstood character. It serves a different purpose now and has done for the last century. Its fine to have an opinion but to make a statement such as "it's not art" just shows your ignorance and lack of understanding. These drawing may not be tracey's masterpiece, but each is an expressive, yet carefully considered art work in its own right.... good day
- Samuel Steel, London
The Bottom of the Barrel scraps Tracey Emin.
- Gary, brentwood
Do you not realise that while we are all talking about it,we are feeding the fame and notoriety that she so desperately craves ?
- Sheila Woods, BRENTWOOD
Th eporn on the wall of my daughter's school toilet is more srtistic than the rubbish Emin is toutong as art
- Keith Price, Luton, England
Not sure that the flies above the body convey the correct message. Dirty or clean?
- Dave Davies, Basingstoke
Whatever next. No its not art, just another opportunist attention seeker.
- Anikar, Londn
Tracey Emin is only riding on other people's stupidity anyway, like the emperors new clothes. Is nothing in this country sacred anymore. God help us all!
- Sue, Orpington, Kent
More free publicity for the Margate Minger.
- Seenitall., marsaskala, malta
The girls toilet sketches were even more unartistic, nay gruesome than the dirty bed she left lying around one time. Porography can never claim to be art. The kama sutra illustrated that
- Keith Price, Luton, England
Ladies of the night have more class. Is that old fish I can smell?
- Ge, The free people of Kernow
