What the bloody hell is... The Turner Prize

Other / Richard Douglas / 27 October 2009 / Leave a Comment

"Through my extensive research it is abundantly clearly that I have no idea what I am talking about."

Contorted dolls, burnt-out drains, magic eyes - Richard Douglas wants to know what the hell it means but, when it comes to betting on Britain's premier art prize, where should you put your money?

"When I judge art, I take my painting and put it next to a God-made object like a tree or flower. If it clashes, it is not art." Paul Cezanne, artist.

"The annual farce of the Turner Prize is now as inevitable in November as is the pantomime at Christmas," Brian Sewell, art critic.

"Well... I can only say that, yet again, I have no idea what that is," Richard Douglas, Betfair writer.

The Turner Prize is Britain's most prestigious award for art. It was named after the painter JMW Turner and is contested annually by visual artists under the age of 50. Though it is most associated with conceptual art, painters have won it semi-regularly since the prize was first awarded in 1984.

The public can send in nominations but normally the four-person shortlist announced each July is filled by professional artists showing work they have staged in the last year.
This year's final four are Enrico David, Roger Hiorns, Lucy Skaer and Richard Wright. On December 7 one of them will receive a cheque for £25,000 along with a major boost to their career.

Let's go through them in turn.

In the words of the Tate website, Enrico David [4.1], "is a contemporary surrealist who creates rich and profoundly original painting, drawing and sculpture which are disconcerting, confrontational and beautiful". He is nominated for "How Do You Love Dzzzzt By Mammy?"

In my heathen eyes, it is a sculpture of a pretty cheesed-off man with body made of material sitting on metal legs which kind of resemble skis. In fact, his work seems to have produced a number of handmade dolls contorted into absurd poses.

Roger Hiorns [2.3], "creates arresting sculpture and installation combining unusual materials". He has been nominated for a solo exhibition at Corvi Mora, London and for a piece called Seizure.

Bit of a weird one this. It looks like the inside of a couple of rooms covered in blue snow. In fact it is a derelict flat on a housing estate turned into a crystal cave using copper sulphate. He also set fire to a drain in Vauxhall and photographed it.

Lucy Skaer [5.3], produces "drawings, sculptures and films which often take found photographic sources as their starting point". She is nominated for her solo exhibition at the Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh, and "A Boat Used as a Vessel". The exhibits include a table with a handprint, a large print on the floor matching one on the wall and a three-piece print in dappled grey. People with a greater IQ than I can tell you what the hell it all means.

Finally, Richard Wright [3.3], "creates subtle and exquisite wall paintings that respond directly to the architecture in which they are created". He has been nominated for the work he exhibited in Pittsburgh and Edinburgh.

It is possible to get a little more of a handle on these. A couple of patterned walls and there is one untitled piece in enamel that reminds me of one of those Magic Eye pictures you see through.

I'm sure Wright will agree with that analysis!

Through my extensive research it is abundantly clearly that I have no idea what I am talking about.

The five-strong jury do, however. There are three directors of galleries, the Guardian's art critic and, for some reason, Mariella Frostrup.
In the last eight years, artists exhibiting installations have won five times and painting twice. This is clearly the reason Hiorns has the edge but, frankly, who knows?

The Turner Prize is notoriously inconsistent and, frankly, I did not know anyone in the art world was keeping score.