Tracey Emin’s Purrrfect Cat Tapestry

A superb wool tapestry by YBA artist Tracey Emin titled “Black Cat”  is the centerpiece of the Craft Council’s “Collect” international art fair for contemporary objects,. The weaving was a collaboration between Turner prize-nominee Emin and the West Dean Tapestry Studio.

Who got the cream – Emin stated: “I have always liked tapestries and they are something that I would like to collect.”“The Black Cat is one of my favourite paintings. It took me over seven years to complete, not because I was hesitant, but because it’s two completely different paintings. It has bold strong shapes as well as subtle washes of colour. I have always liked tapestries and they are something that I would like to collect. West Dean work in the most traditional way and it totally lent itself to my images. At the moment I’m just looking forward to doing some more.”

“West Dean’s tapestry weavers, Caron and Philip, are incredibly sympathetic and intuitive. They have a great understanding towards the colours and forms in my work. As I work with fabrics and textiles it’s a natural progression for me” says Tracey Emin of her first foray into tapestry weaving with this collaboration with the West Dean Tapestry Studio to translate one of her paintings, Black Cat, into tapestry.

Over the years the Studio has worked with many artists including John Piper, Philip Sutton, Howard Hodgkin, Bill Jacklin, Adrian Berg and many of its own Studio designers.
 More than 400 artists are being displayed over the weekend at  “Collect”  including Tobias Mohl, Betty Woodman, Kate Malone, Wendy Ramshaw and Michael Eden.

The exhibition takes place between the 6-9 May at the Saatchi Gallery. Visit Collect

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