Last Thursday night I gave a talk at the Hirshhorn in Washington DC. I always stick around afterwards so I can chat to people about their work, their favourite artists or their routes into art. On this occasion, one woman – her eyes glassy – looked at me and said: which artist can I look at to soften heartbreak?
I immediately directed her to Tracey Emin’s neons, where I’ve often gone to find answers. Text is powerful when used in art. Emin’s neons, lit up in fluorescent colours and at times loosely framed in a heart-shaped line, have read: “Meet me in heaven and I will wait for you”; “It’s a crime to live with the person you don’t love”; “The soul will always do what it needs to do’’; “I could have really loved you”; “Be brave”. Although not limited to heartbreak, these lines address experiences most people can relate to.
