Art Quote by Tracey Emin
“Criticism on my works is like this: you've worked hard all of your life, you went to Oxford, and you've done this and that, and you're an art critic. Your job is to unravel the "secret" or whatever, and you come across an entity like me. It's going to piss you off. Because there's no great secret, what you see is what you get, and anyone can understand what I'm doing. So, it's almost like I make this critic-person redundant, just by my attitude, and they resent me for that.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Public talk, Tracey Emin, 2015
The quote argues that art criticism is unnecessary when the work is transparent and accessible, rendering the critic redundant.
In simple terms: Criticism is redundant when art is clear.
Key Takeaway
Embrace clarity, ignore pretentious critique.
Themes
art
criticism
transparency
ego
attitude
Mood
defiant
confident
Type
provocative
artistic
When to use this quote
- gallery openings
- art reviews
- social media commentary
- personal artistic practice
Key Concepts
authenticity
self‑presentation
public perception
Questions to Reflect On
- How does transparency affect artistic value?
- Can criticism ever be truly redundant?
A Different Perspective
Critics may still provide valuable historical context.
