Turner Prize: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

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==Background==

The prize was named after Turner, because, ~~while~~though he is now considered one of the country's greatest artists, ~~while~~when he was active, his work was controversial.<ref name=origin>{{cite web |url= http://www.tramway.org/blog/Pages/A-brief-history-of-the-Turner-Prize.aspx|title=A brief history of the Turner Prize |date=6 July 2015 |publisher=tramway.org |access-date=6 July 2016}}</ref> While he is now looked at as a traditionalist, his new approach to landscape painting changed the course of art history, as many of the Turner Prize winners aspire to do.<ref name=origin/>

Each year after the announcement of the four nominees and during the build-up to the announcement of the winner, the Prize receives intense attention from the media. Much of this attention is critical and the question is often asked, "Is this art?"<ref name=art1>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/547310.stm "Head to Head: Turner Prize — Is It Art?"] BBC, 2 December 1999. Retrieved 22 March 2006.</ref><ref name=art2>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/2380393.stm "Turner Prize: Is It Art?"] BBC, 4 November 2002. Retrieved 22 March 2006.</ref>

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The shortlisted and winning artists are chosen by the prize's jury based upon a showing of their work that they have staged in the preceding year. Nominations for the prize are usually invited from the public, although these suggestions are not a significant part of the selection process according to [[Lynn Barber]], one of the 2006 judges.<ref name=suffered>Barber, Lynn (2006)[http://arts.guardian.co.uk/turnerprize2006/story/0,,1884682,00.html "How I suffered for art's sake"] ''The Observer,'' 1 October 2006. Retrieved 15 January 2006.</ref> Public nominations were not actively sought for the prize in 2020 or 2021 "given the uncertainties of lockdown".<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-05-07 |title=For first time Turner Prize 2021 shortlist is made up entirely of artist collectives |url=https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2021/05/07/for-first-time-turner-prize-2021-shortlist-is-made-up-entirely-of-artist-collectives |access-date=2022-03-20 |website=The Art Newspaper - International art news and events}}</ref> The shortlist (usually of four or five artists) is announced in July; a show of the nominees' work opens at Tate Britain in late October; the prize itself is announced at the beginning of December. The exhibition remains on view until January. The prize is officially not judged on the Tate show, however, but on the earlier exhibition for which the artist was nominated.

The exhibition and prize rely on commercial [[sponsor (commercial)|sponsorship]]. By 1987, money for the prize was provided by [[Drexel Burnham Lambert]]; its withdrawal after its demise led to the cancellation of the prize for 1990.<ref>{{Cite web |date=1990-09-30 |title=Turner Prize in turmoil as last year's winner Long exhibits at the Tate |url=https://www.theartnewspaper.com/1990/10/01/turner-prize-in-turmoil-as-last-years-winner-long-exhibits-at-the-tate |access-date=2022-03-20 |website=The Art Newspaper - International art news and events}}</ref> [[Channel 4]], an independent television channel, stepped in for 1991, doubling the prize money to £20,000, and supporting the event with documentaries and live broadcasts of the prize-giving. Channel 4's head of arts at the time, [[Waldemar Januszczak]], was influential in helping set the format for the prize in the following years, such as arguing for the age limit of 50 that was in place from 1991 until 2017.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-05-02 |title=Why try to fix the Turner Prize when it ain't broke? |url=https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2017/05/02/why-try-to-fix-the-turner-prize-when-it-aint-broke |access-date=2022-03-20 |website=The Art Newspaper - International art news and events}}</ref> In 2004, they were replaced as sponsors by [[Gordon's Gin]], doubling the prize money to £40,000,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2004-05-19 |title=Gordon's Gin replaces Channel 4 as Turner prize sponsor |url=http://www.theguardian.com/media/2004/may/19/advertising.arts |access-date=2022-03-20 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}</ref> with £5,000 going to each of the shortlisted artists, and £25,000 to the winner. At a press conference for the 2019 prize, bus operator [[Stagecoach Group|Stagecoach]] were announced as the lead sponsors of that year's prize, drawing questions from journalists as to whether the company was an appropriate sponsor, due to the chairman [[Brian Souter]]'s support of [[Section 28]] laws and campaigning against the legalisation of [[same-sex marriage]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-05-01 |title=Turner prize hosts choose sponsor chaired by anti-gay rights campaigner |url=http://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/may/01/turner-prize-hosts-choose-sponsor-chaired-by-anti-gay-rights-campaigner |access-date=2022-03-20 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}</ref> It was announced the following day that Tate and [[Turner Contemporary]] (the gallery hosting that year's prize) had mutually agreed to terminate the sponsorship with Stagecoach.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Turner Prize deal with Stagecoach ends after Brian Souter gay rights row |url=https://www.scotsman.com/news/people/turner-prize-deal-stagecoach-ends-after-brian-souter-gay-rights-row-1418423 |access-date=2022-03-20 |website=www.scotsman.com |date=3 May 2019 |language=en}}</ref>

As much as the shortlist of artists reflects the state of British Art, the composition of the panel of judges, which includes curators and critics, provides some indication of who holds influence institutionally and internationally, as well as who are rising stars. Former Tate Director Sir [[Nicholas Serota]] was the Chair of the jury from the start of his tenure at the Tate in 1988 until 2006.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2016-09-08 |title=Sir Nicholas Serota to leave Tate for Arts Council role |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-37300729 |access-date=2022-03-19}}</ref>. There are conflicting reports as to how much personal sway he has over the proceedings.{{according to whom|date=January 2019}}

The media success of the Turner Prize contributed to the success of (and was in turn helped by) such late 1990s phenomena as the [[Young British Artists]] (several of whom were nominees and winners), [[Cool Britannia]], and exhibitions such as the [[Charles Saatchi]]-sponsored ''[[Sensation exhibition|Sensation]]'' exhibition.

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===1984===

[[Malcolm Morley]] is awarded the inaugural Turner Prize for his installation of two oil-on-canvas paintings inspired by a trip to Greece. ~~Morley’s~~Morley's win sparked controversy because he had been living in New York for the previous 20 years. Other nominees included [[Richard Long (artist)|Richard Long]], [[Richard Deacon (sculptor)|Richard Deacon]] and [[Gilbert & George]], all of whom went on to win the Turner Prize themselves. The prize was awarded by [[Grey Ruthven, 2nd Earl of Gowrie|Lord Gowrie]], Minister for the Arts at the time.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Januszczak |first1=Waldemar |title=Archive, 1984: What The Guardian thought about the first Turner prize |url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/from-the-archive-blog/2014/sep/30/turner-prize-malcolm-morely-1984-archive |website=The Guardian |date=30 September 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Turner Prize 1984 – Exhibition at Tate Britain |url=https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/exhibition/turner-prize-1984 |website=Tate}}</ref>

===1985===

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===1988===

Sculpture artist [[Tony Cragg]] is awarded the prize by [[Alan Yentob]]. Other nominees included figurative/portrait painter [[Lucian Freud]], Pop artist [[Richard Hamilton (artist)|Richard Hamilton]], [[Richard Long (artist)|Richard Long]], [[David Mach]] (graduate of [[Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art]]), printer Boyd Webb, sculptor [[Alison Wilding]] and [[Richard Wilson (sculptor)|Richard Wilson]]. The appointment of Tate Director, Nicholas Serota, led to many changes such as the introduction of an annual rehang of the Collection and giving priority to modern and contemporary art. During this period the future of the Prize was uncertain. The Turner Prize was modified to be an artist-only prize without a published shortlist and a solo exhibition was awarded to the winner, Tony Cragg.<ref>{{cite web |title=Turner Prize 1988 – Exhibition at Tate Britain |url=https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/exhibition/turner-prize-1988 |website=Tate}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Hilton |first1=Tim |last2=Kennedy |first2=Maev |title=News: 1998 Turner prize goes to sculptor Tony Cragg |url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/1988/nov/23/20yearsoftheturnerprize.turnerprize |website=The Guardian |date=23 November 1988}}</ref>

===1989===

Sculpture and installation artist [[Richard Long (artist)|Richard Long]] is presented the prize after three previous nominations. Controversially, Long is awarded for his lifetime body of work rather than an exhibition of work in 1989. Other nominees included painter [[Gillian Ayres]], figurative painter [[Lucian Freud]], ~~Italian-born~~ sculptor [[Giuseppe Penone]], painter [[Paula Rego]], abstract painter [[Sean Scully]] and Richard Wilson. Italian-born Giuseppe Penone became the first foreign artist to be nominated for the strength of his exhibitions in Britain.<ref>{{cite web |title=Turner Prize 1989 – Exhibition at Tate Britain |url=https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/exhibition/turner-prize-1989 |website=Tate}}</ref>

===1990===

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===1991===

[[Anish Kapoor]] received the prize for an untitled piece in sandstone and pigment. Other nominees included abstract painters [[Ian Davenport (artist)|Ian Davenport]], [[Fiona Rae]] and sculptor [[Rachel Whiteread]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Turner Prize 1991 – Exhibition at Tate Britain |url=https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/exhibition/turner-prize-1991 |website=Tate}}</ref>

===1992===

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===1999===

[[File:Steve McQueen TIFF 2013.jpg|thumb|Director Steve McQueen at the [[Toronto International Film Festival]], September 2013]]

The Prize was given to [[Steve McQueen (director)|Steve McQueen]] for his video based on a [[Buster Keaton]] film. Some media attention was given to [[Tracey Emin]]'s exhibit ''[[My Bed]],'' which was a double bed in a dishevelled state with stained sheets, surrounded by detritus such as soiled underwear, condoms, slippers and empty drink bottles. Two artists, [[Yuan Chai and Jian Jun Xi]], jumped onto the bed, stripped to their underwear, and had a pillow fight. Police detained the two, who called their performance ''Two Naked Men Jump into Tracey's Bed''. Other nominees included [[Steven Pippin]] and collaborative sibling duo [[Jane and Louise Wilson]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Turner Prize 1999 – Exhibition at Tate Britain |url=https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/exhibition/turner-prize-1999 |website=Tate}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Gibbons |first1=Fiachra |last2=Correspondent |first2=Arts |title=Deadpan McQueen takes the Turner |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/1999/dec/01/fiachragibbons |website=The Guardian |date=1 December 1999}}</ref>

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The winner of the £25,000 Prize was [[Mark Wallinger]].<ref name=higgins2007>Higgins, Charlotte. [http://arts.guardian.co.uk/turnerprize2007/story/0,,2221321,00.html "Bear man walks away with Turner Prize"], ''[[The Guardian]]'', 3 December 2007. Retrieved 3 December 2007.</ref> His display at the Turner Prize show was ''Sleeper'', a film of him dressed in a bear costume wandering around an empty museum, but the prize was officially given for ''[[State Britain]]'', which recreated all the objects in [[Brian Haw]]'s anti-war display in [[Parliament Square]], London.<ref name=higgins2007/> The judges commended Wallinger's work for its "immediacy, visceral intensity and historic importance", and called it "a bold political statement with art's ability to articulate fundamental human truths."<ref name=higgins2007/> The prize was presented by [[Dennis Hopper]].<ref name=higgins2007/>

For the first time in its 23-year history, the Turner Prize was held outside London, in [[Tate Liverpool]] (in support of [[Liverpool]] being the [[European Capital of Culture]] in 2008), following a suggestion by gallery worker Jason Richardson. Concurrently there was an exhibition of previous winners at Tate Britain in London.

Unlike recent years, Sir [[Nicholas Serota]] was not the jury chairman; instead, the chairman was Christoph Grunenberg, the Director of Tate Liverpool. The panel was:<ref name=turnerprize07tate>[http://www.tate.org.uk/liverpool/exhibitions/turnerprize2007/default.shtm "Turner Prize 07"]. tate.org. Retrieved 21 May 2007</ref>

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[[Mark Leckey]] was the winner of the Turner Prize of 2008.

For the second year running, Sir Nicholas Serota did not chair the Turner Prize jury; instead Stephen Deuchar, director of Tate Britain, was the chair. The other members were Jennifer Higgie, editor of ''[[Frieze (magazine)|frieze]]'', Daniel Birnbaum, rector of the [[Städelschule]] international art academy, Frankfurt, architect [[David Adjaye]], and Suzanne Cotter, senior curator, [[Modern Art Oxford]].<ref name=gayford>Gayford, Martin. [https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088&sid=atked90EZ9lw&refer=home "Leckey, Wilkes, Islam, Macuga on U.K. Turner Prize Shortlist "] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081019212913/http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088 |date=19 October 2008 }}, bloomberg.com, 13 May 2008. Retrieved 14 May 2008.</ref> The prize winner received £25,000 and the other three nominees £5,000 each. In recent years the prize has attracted commercial sponsorship, but did not have any during the 2008 events.<ref name=gayford/> The nominees were [[Runa Islam]], [[Mark Leckey]], [[Goshka Macuga]], and [[Cathy Wilkes]]; the Prize exhibition opened at Tate Britain on 30 September and the winner was announced on 1 December.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080706021217/http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/visual_arts/article3922864.ece "Tate courts controversy with Turner Prize shortlist"], ''[[The Times]]'', 14 May 2008. Retrieved 14 May 2008.</ref>

===2009===

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===2010===

The winner was [[Susan Philipsz]] who graduated from [[~~Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design|~~Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design]] in Dundee. She was the first artist ever to win with a purely aural work, having made an installation under three bridges in [[Glasgow]] in which she sang folklorised versions of the [[sea shanty]] "Lowlands Away". For the Turner Prize, the work consisted simply of loudspeakers installed along the walls in a gallery room. The other artists nominated were [[Dexter Dalwood]], [[Angela de la Cruz]], and the [[Kodwo Eshun#The Otolith Group|Otolith Group]].<ref name="guardian2010">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2010/dec/06/turner-prize-winner-susan-philipsz |title=Turner prize won by Susan Philipsz for a sound installation |work=The Guardian |date=6 December 2010 |access-date=6 December 2010 |author=Charlotte Higgins |location=London}}</ref>

===2011===

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===2021===

~~The~~Hosted in Coventry, the 2021 nominees were [[Array Collective]], Black Obsidian Sound System, Cooking Sections,<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-09-24|title=Climate Crisis: A History with Cooking Sections and Zozan Pehlivan|url=https://ocula.com/magazine/conversations/cooking-sections-and-zozan-pehlivan/|access-date=2021-09-24|website=ocula.com|language=en}}</ref> Gentle/Radical, and Project Art Works.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Tate|title=Turner Prize Shortlist Announced – Press Release|url=https://www.tate.org.uk/press/press-releases/turner-prize-shortlist-announced-0|access-date=2021-09-24|website=Tate|language=en-GB}}</ref> Array Collective were announced as the winners on 1 December 2021.<ref>{{cite web| title= Turner Prize 2021: Irish pub installation wins award | url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-59490291 | date= 1 December 2021| website= [[BBC News Online]]| accessdate= 1 December 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web| last=Sherwood| first= Harriet| title= Northern Ireland art group Array Collective wins 2021 Turner prize | url= https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2021/dec/01/northern-ireland-art-group-array-collective-wins-2021-turner-prize| date= 1 December 2021| work= [[The Guardian]]| accessdate= 1 December 2021 }}</ref>

===2022===

On 12 April 2022, it was announced that the nominees for the prize were [[Heather Phillipson]], [[Ingrid Pollard]], [[Veronica Ryan]], and [[Sin Wai Kin]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-61078208|title=Turner Prize 2022: Trafalgar Square whipped cream artist among nominees|publisher=BBC News|date=12 Apr 2022|access-date=12 Apr 2022}}</ref> Veronica Ryan was announced as the winner.

===2023===

[[Jesse Darling]] won the award in 2023, hosted in Eastbourne.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Marshall |first1=Alex |title=Turner Prize Goes to Jesse Darling, a Sculptor of Mangled Objects |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/05/arts/design/turner-prize-jesse-darling.html |access-date=8 July 2024}}</ref>

===2024===

On 24 April 2024, it was announced that the nominees for the prize were [[Jasleen Kaur]], [[Pio Abad]], [[Claudette Johnson]], and [[Delaine Le Bas]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Bakare |first=Lanre |title=Claudette Johnson's art for Cotton Capital nominated for Turner prize |url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2024/apr/24/claudette-johnson-art-cotton-capital-nominated-for-turner-prize |access-date=31 May 2024 |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=24 April 2024}}</ref>

==Public perception==

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===Opposed===

[[File:Kim Howells 2.jpg|thumb|[[Kim Howells]]: "cold mechanical, conceptual bullshit"]]

*The ''[[Evening Standard]]'' critic [[Brian Sewell]] wrote "The annual farce of the Turner Prize is now as inevitable in November as is the [[Pantomime|pantomime at Christmas]]".

*Critic [[Matthew Collings]] wrote: "Turner Prize art is based on a formula where something looks startling at first and then turns out to be expressing some kind of banal idea, which somebody will be sure to tell you about. The ideas are never important or even really ideas, more notions, like the notions in advertising. Nobody pursues them anyway, because there's nothing there to pursue."<ref>Collings, Matthew. [https://www.theguardian.com/books/2000/oct/22/classics.williamblake1 "Blake's Progress"], ''[[The Observer]]'', 22 October 2000. Retrieved 8 March 2011.</ref>

*The art critic [[David Lee (art critic)|David Lee]] has argued that since the re-organisation of the prize in 1991 the shortlist has been dominated by artists represented by a small number of London dealers, namely Nicholas Logsdail of the [[Lisson Gallery]], and others closely linked to the collector [[Charles Saatchi]]: [[Jay Jopling]], [[Maureen Paley]] and [[Victoria Miro]]. The [[Lisson Gallery]] has had the most success of any gallery with the Turner Prize from 1991 to 2004.

*In 2002, Culture Minister (and former art student ~~himself)~~ [[Kim Howells]] pinned the following statement to a board in a room specially-designated for visitors' comments: <blockquote>"If this is the best British artists can produce then British art is lost. It is cold mechanical, conceptual bullshit. <br>Kim Howells. <br>P.S. The attempts at conceptualisation are particularly pathetic and symptomatic of a lack of conviction."</blockquote>

==Alternative and spoof prizes==

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==External links==

*[~~http~~https://www.tate.org.uk/~~visit/tate-britain~~art/turner-prize The Turner Prize official website, Tate]

*[https://www.theguardian.com/arts/gallery/image/0,8543,-10204774275,00.html 20 years of Turner Prize winners (image gallery)], ''The Guardian''

*[https://web.archive.org/web/20071208125846/http://www.hatii.arts.gla.ac.uk/MultimediaStudentProjects/00-01/9704524l/MM%20Project/ Turner Prize, Glasgow University project]

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[[Category:Annual events in the United Kingdom]]

[[Category:Awards with age limits]]

[[Category:~~British art~~Arts awards in the United Kingdom]]