Emma Kay

EMMA KAY (England, 1961).
"The Interpretation of Dreams (490 Objects in Order of Appearance)," 1997.
Inkjet print on paper.
In a methacrylate case.
Measurements: 241 x 171 x 2.5 cm.
In this work, Emma Kay devised a system for interpreting dreams based on linguistic analysis and the associative theory used to decipher dreams. The 490 objects are simply named, employing the surrealist technique of collecting words. The artist presents an inventory but does not suggest associations between them, leaving it up to the viewer to establish connections. The title of the work refers to the seminal book that Freud published in 1900.
Emma Kay is a British artist who works with subjectivity and memory. Kay studied art at Goldsmiths College, where she earned a bachelor’s degree between 1980 and 1983 and a master’s degree between 1995 and 1997. Her early works consisted of compiling lists of inanimate objects drawn from a selection of novels. *The Bible of Memory* was her first “from memory” text, in which she relied solely on her own recollection of the text, and it was included in the 2001 British Art Show, held at the South Bank Centre in London. This was followed by *Shakespeare from Memory* in 1998, three drawings titled *The World of Memory I, II, and III* (1998), and *Vision of the World* (1999), an attempt to write the entire history of the world from memory. *Future* (2001, Chisenhale Gallery) is a digital film depicting the future of the world, while *The Story of Art* (2003, Tate Modern) is a digital film that attempts to write the history of art. The Tate holds printed copies of both *The Bible from Memory* and *Worldview*. In 2004, Kay was the first artist commissioned to design the cover of the London Underground map. In an interview explaining her inspiration for the design, she says she chose a bullseye motif because it tends to symbolize the exact point where one is located on a map, hence the title “You Are in London.” The work also became part of the Art on the Underground program, which showcases works by various artists inside London Underground stations. Kay’s designs for the London Underground were included in the 2018 exhibition *Poster Girls* held at the London Transport Museum.