‘Maybe Damien peaked’: Tracey Emin shares her thoughts on male artists over 40

Tracey Emin with her My Bed piece at Christie's, London
Credit: PA Images/Alamy Stock Photo
Tracey Emin holds court in the latest podcast dropped by the wry UK journalist and broadcaster Louis Theroux, delivering (typically feisty) opinions on subjects such as Damien Hirst (does he still matter?), the Royal Family (meeting King Charles post-surgery) and why she loves 1970s pop idol Donny Osmond.
Theroux quizzes Emin about the artistic merits of Hirst, asking: “You just don’t like the work, is that what it is?” Emin responds: “No it’s not that. It’s just like I think a lot of male artists in general, I always say this, men they sort of peak in their 40s.
“They have just one—it’s like one massive ejaculation…. maybe Damien peaked. I don’t know, we’ll have to see, only time will tell, it’s not clear.”
The art grande dame recently encountered the King, explaining why she was extra careful meeting the UK monarch following her extensive cancer surgery. “The reason why I had to have my night bag plugged in [which carries her urine] and my shopping bag when we met the king is because these things take time, and you don't know how long it's going to take for them to come down the stairs and the last thing I want to do is be standing there ready to meet the King and Queen and then have to beforehand rush to the loo or my bag burst.”
So what about Donny? Emin and Theroux reveal they were keen to talk to rapper Eminem at the 2001 Brit Awards, but opted instead to speak to Mr Osmond. “We sacked off Eminem,” says Louis. “We did. And we had a great chat with Donny Osmond. And it was really interesting,” Emin replies. The Louis Theroux podcast is available on Spotify.

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