LONDON (AFP).- Tracey Emin's unmade bed artfully littered with condoms, cigarette packs and underwear is expected to fetch around £1 million (1.2 million euros, $1.7 million) at auction.

The work, called simply "My Bed", cemented Emin's notoriety when it was shortlisted for the 1999 Turner Prize, although the British artist eventually lost out to future Oscar winner Steve McQueen, who directed "12 Years a Slave".

The bed was later bought by wealthy art dealer Charles Saatchi, who is selling it at Christie's auction house in London on July 1.

It has been priced at between £800,000 and £1.2 million. All proceeds from the sale will help subsidise free entry at the Saatchi Gallery in London and its free education programme for schools.

Emin was a leading light of the group dubbed the Young British Artists, along with Damien Hirst and Sarah Lucas, but appears to be mellowing with age.

The 50-year-old recently spoke out in support of Prime Minister David Cameron's Conservative Party and has described herself as "actually quite old-fashioned".

"I love fun and I am notorious for throwing a good party, but I think at my age there should be some decorum," she said.

"I want to ease down from that sort of thing and concentrate on my work.

"If that is going well, everything else falls into place. I am not married, I don't have children, I am totally financially independent and all I want to do is enjoy my work, which gives me the ultimate pleasure in life."


© 1994-2014 Agence France-Presse