Terribly Wrong
- Artist: Tracey Emin
- Date: 1997
- Medium: Monoprint on paper
- Dimensions: image: 582 x 811 mm
- Museum: Tate Modern
- Collection record: Tate Modern website
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About this artwork
This is the "Terribly Wrong" by Tracey Emin, a 1997 monoprint on paper that captures a raw moment of her life. The piece is a stark, hand‑drawn confession about a week in 1994 that saw a painful abortion, dental surgery and a breakup. Emin uses a scratchy, almost childlike line style to write out the story, turning the page into a diary. The title hints at the emotional disarray she feels, while the simple black strokes convey a sense of vulnerability and honesty. She explains that her work isn’t just about making pretty images but about communicating a message—about memory, pain and the complexity of being a woman. The work sits at 58 by 81 centimeters, but its emotional weight is much larger than its physical size.
See it in person
Terribly Wrong is in the collection of Tate Modern on Bankside, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
