About the Artwork

Roman Standard is, in the words of Tracey Emin, a symbol of “hope, faith and spirituality”. Bearing none of the autocratic or militaristic connotations of the traditional Roman Standard, this bird carries with it associations of height, air and light. “Most public sculptures are a symbol of power which I find oppressive and dark. I wanted something that had a magic and an alchemy, something which would appear and disappear and not dominate” says Tracey Emin. This diminutive bird perched high above the ground gently reminds us that strength is possessed by even seemingly insignificant creatures.

Year: 2005


Copyright the artist, courtesy the artist and White Cube

Material

bronze

Dimensions

10 x 17 cm from beak to tail; pole 357 cm

Artist Biography

Tracey Emin CBE RA

Tracey Emin was born in London in 1963, and studied at Maidstone College of Art and the Royal College of Art, London. She represented Great Britain at the Venice Biennale in 2007 and was elected a Royal Academician in the same year. In 2011, Emin became the Professor of Drawing at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, and in 2013 Queen Elizabeth II appointed her Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for her contributions to the visual arts.