Art in Context: “Motherland” – Tracey Emin and Margate at Yale Center for British Art

The Yale Center for British Art in New Haven will present Art in Context: “Motherland” – Tracey Emin and Margate on Tuesday, July 1, from 12:30 pm to 1:00 pm. This talk, led by Lily Waterton, explores two works by artist Tracey Emin through the lens of her hometown of Margate, a coastal town in England that has long served as a powerful source of inspiration.

Margate plays a central role in Emin’s identity and artistic narrative, shaping much of her autobiographical work. During the late 1990s, she famously embraced the nickname “Mad Tracey from Margate,” underscoring her deep personal and artistic connection to the town. The talk will consider how Emin’s personal mythology is closely tied to Margate’s social and geographical landscape, placing her within a broader historical context that includes artists and writers such as J. M. W. Turner, T. S. Eliot, and Charles Dickens.

The Yale Center for British Art is located at 1080 Chapel Street, New Haven, Connecticut. Admission is free. For more information, visit britishart.yale.edu.