Lowry and Emin are, in a way, similar - in that a small subsection of their works have become known to the public, and that part of their catalogue misrepresents the whole.
Tracy Emin's installations - in my view- distract from her sketching, and her technical ability, and the way she connects with her audience.
Lowry on the other hand is known for his (retched) 'matchstick cats& dogs' - but his seascapes nearly move me to tears, his erotic drawings are 'interesting' and then there's the enigmatic multiple paintings of 'Anne' . Lowry was at heart very sensual - apart from the bondage, there's the phallic spires. (Today he may possibly have been considered a pervert or a creep, dunno)
It is - has has been said - worth taking an artist's work in the round, rather than judging them on a selected number of high profile pieces.