Emily Tracy
My practice is primarily focused on social engagement. I make site-specific structures, installation and projects, which play with the architecture, history and stories of a place. I have created visual art projects for a wide range of outdoor and cultural environments with communities, schools and audiences over the last 20 years.
I use paper, fabric, everyday objects such as stationary, books, discarded materials. I use these simple materials to explore the environments we live in, with printmaking, drawing and shadow. The deliberate use of simple materials and techniques seek to lay bare the process of creation, and simultaneously harness a transformation from the ordinary to the special.
Creating artwork in a public space, which engages, amuses and re-interprets the space and place, is my main driving force of creativity. My work aims to allow participants to re view a familiar place or activity through the intervention of an artwork or transformation of space with event, participation, spectacle, and collaboration. My work has been commissioned by The British Museum, The Bloomsbury Festival, The Royal Shakespeare company and Arts NK amongst others. It has included lit sculpture, artworks which ask audiences to contribute and reflect on their feelings and place in the world, installation which use imaginary scenario to explore history or belief, and workshops which give audiences the means to make their own artworks.
I work on solo projects, and in collaboration with animator Elizabeth Hobbs, using moving image to create participatory projects under the name Tracy & Hobbs. Tracy and Hobbs have created award winning project for Up Projects, UK Film Council and Arts Council England.
I am currently engaged in using Lino and letterpress print, collage and artist’s books to create 2d and installation projects.
Curriculum Vitae:
Education
1992-1994 Slade school of Art, London. Post graduate. (Higher Diploma)
1989-1992 Brighton Polytechnic. BA (Hons) Fine Art, Painting 2:1
1988-1989 Central school of Art, London. Foundation.
Exhibitions
2023 Cut-Outs 195 Mare Street. Solo installation.
2022 Finch Project. Joint exhibition Emily Tracy & Amanda Benson.
2022 Womxn FairArtFair Curated II. Group exhibition.
2021 ‘All Along’ Shuttleworth Gardens Gallery, Greensand Country festival. Solo exhibition.
20/21 Mantle Arts ‘NW Leicestershire Voices’ Coalville, Leicestershire. Various locations.
2018 Space Gallery. LCN London showcase.
2016 Bow Open curated by Anj Smith
2014 Tracy & Hobbs Akkigalleria video works, Jyväskylä, Finland. Live Herring Festival.
2013 ‘Screen’, St Andrews, Heckington, Lincolnshire. Site-specific participatory ‘Altered’.
2012 Lido Love, London fields Lido, Hackney. ‘Seedlings’ Light installation.
2009 Shunt Lounge, Tracy & Hobbs Comings and Goings. Site-specific animated installation.
Talks/media
2022 SPACE talks. Online.
2018 Bloomsbury Festival Panel member on Women’s Work
2017 Metal (Peterborough) Future Networks, presentation of my work.
2017 University of East London Detour ahead. Presentation of collaborative work of Tracy & Hobbs
2016 Silent Symposium, Animate Projects, Derby University.
Public participatory art commissions (selected)
2023 Commission to explore The Leeds Archive of Vernacular Culture for The Dialect and Heritage project University of Leeds
2022/23 Artist in residence Portland Bird Observatory B-side Festival, Dorset
2022 ‘Ilford Directory’ co-created billboard artwork, SPACE, Ilford, London.
2022 What do we hold Dear? Permanent artwork, All saints View, Central Bedfordshire Council
2022 Artist in Residence Hackney Historic Buildings Trust St Augustines Tower, London
2021 ‘We are Woodberry Down’ Dallas- Pierce- Quintero, Hackney, London.
2021 ‘Let’s Stick Together’ Arts Council England funded collaboration Library of Change, Bromley By Bow Centre, creating collage and podcasts with older people during Covid.
2021 The British Library Climate audiograms with Radio producer Sarah Cuddon.
2021 Greensands Country residency. National Lottery Heritage project.
2020 Museum of London Docklands Memories of London project for older adults with Dementia.
2019 Make Club (ongoing). Set up weekly art project for young people and adults.
2019 London Borough of Hackney, light installation and lantern workshops and procession.
2019 Institute of Animal Spirit Guides, The End of the Road Festival.
2019 ‘Isle of You’ Sky Arts 50 at The Barbican Gallery. Installation and participatory event with Window Wanderland.
2018 Innovators Imaginarium Installation, Emergency Exit Arts and Output Arts.
2018 ‘Kaleidoscope eyes’ hoarding and engagement commission for Tideway. King Georges Park, Wandsworth, London.
2017 Clutter Bank for Planet B Festival, Metal Peterborough and PECT.
2016/7 Royal Shakespeare Company, The Other Place. Installation with Julia Clarke.
2016 Gateway, The British Museum Installation and workshops for Refugee Week.
2016 Bureau of the unsaid, Chelsea Fringe Festival, Dalston Curve Garden interactive Installation exploring the language of flowers.
2016 Bloomsbury Festival, Festival in a box artist book, taking the festival to local people with Dementia.
2015 ‘Whitton Small Press’ Residency in Whitton Library funded by Arts Council England London Borough of Richmond Arts service and Richmond Library services.
2014 ‘Bureau of Lost and Found’ Totally Thames festival with Up Projects. ?Tracy & Hobbs installation Floating Cinema.
2014 The One Show BBC television. Giant drawing for The Campaign for Drawing made live during the One Show.
2013 ‘Water Folk’ Tracy & Hobbs project, The Floating Cinema, Up Projects. Arts Council funded. Awarded ‘Best educational project’ by The Canal and Rivers Trust.
Education projects (selected)
2022 SPACE family workshop
2021 The Foundling Museum, family workshops.
2021 SPACE ‘Who Cares?’ participatory workshops, Ilford.
2019 Artist, Bletchley Park, drawing project.
2015 Dalston Curve Garden workshops exploring the garden using science and art.
2015 Arts Awards Explore, Bow Arts After school project Newham primary schools.
2015 Kettles Yard, Cambridge Circuit programme project with Tate Gallery.
2015 Arts Prescription, Bromley by Bow Centre. Enabling adults experiencing anxiety and depression to explore visual arts.
2013 Big Draw Queen Elizabeth Park Summer school Tracy & Hobbs workshop with Space studios and London Legacy for transition year school groups.
