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I began working with Tracey Emin at the age of 18 in 2009. My role is extensive, encompassing the running of the studio, curating commercial and museum exhibitions, and being present when she paints. For the past three years I have been working on what is perhaps the most important exhibition of Tracey’s career so far: A Second Life, presented at Tate Modern in partnership with Gucci.
Painting is a lonely pursuit. Tracey equates it to self-love – something you do alone. Despite this, I usually accompany Tracey when she paints, and have done so for more than 15 years. During these moments of making, I serve as an antagonist. I understand Tracey’s potential, so my role is to challenge her. Not for the sake of challenging but to coax out perspectives that sit beyond more immediate connections between subject matter and canvas.
Sometimes we have passionate discussions, argue even, in pursuit of pushing the work. Sometimes she gets too close to the subject matter, too immersed. I step in when I sense she has achieved what she set out to do; when the subject matter is so close to her, it’s essential for her to have that perspective. So I create a space for it.
During a painting session, the studio is full of a distinct energy, particularly during a full moon. Often, Tracey transforms into a wild force, spinning and twirling as if possessed. When she paints, she becomes a medium, her hand dancing autonomously across the canvas; her marks led by primal instinct, a guttural cry from the core of her being that allows little room for contemplation. At times, she hurls herself onto canvases so forcefully, she risks puncturing them – and, on occasion, she does.
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