Along with Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin is probably the most notorious of the YBAs. Her most famous works - 'Everyone I Have Ever Slept With' and 'My Bed' - are some of the best known, most loved and most hated pieces of contemporary British art.
From her very first solo show at Jay Jopling's White Cube, Emin has demonstrated a willingness (even a compulsion) to exhibit in public the most personal aspects of her life. Whether or not one is interested in the specifics - what brand of cigarettes she smokes etc - the concept of such a continued examination of the relationship between the private and the public is a valid and valuable one.
Emin is also well know for her spats with former boyfriend, Billy Childish, drunken television appearances, celebrity friends, and espousal of East London. She has recently pledged £4 million to maintain the area's artistic output and prevent the takeover by organic loft conversions and the like.