[[Image:tate.britain.arp.750pix.jpg|thumb|Tate Britain: the venue for the Turner Prize.]] The '''Turner Prize''' is an annual prize given to a British visual [[artist]] under 50, named after the painter [[J.M.W. Turner]]. It is organized by the [[Tate Gallery|Tate]], and since its beginnings in [[1984]] it has become the [[United Kingdom]]'s most publicised [[art]] award, usually attracting controversial press coverage for its exhibits, such as "the shark" by Damien Hirst, and ''[[My Bed]]'' by Tracey Emin. The prize fund from 2004 onwards is £40,000. There have been different sponsors, including Channel 4 television. The prize is awarded by a distinguished guest, including Madonna, who caused controversy by swearing on live television. ==Introduction== Each year 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?".[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/547310.stm "Head to Head: Turner Prize — Is It Art?" BBC, December 2, 1999]Retrieved March 22, 2006[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/2380393.stm "Turner Prize: Is It Art? BBC, November 4, 2002] Retrieved March 22, 2006 The artists usually work in "innovative" media, including [[video art]], [[installation art]] and unconventional [[sculpture]], though [[painter]]s have also won. Nominations for the prize are invited from the public, although this is widely considered to have negligible effect. Typically, there is a three-week period in May for public nominations to be received; the short-list (which since 1991 has been of four artists) is announced in July; a show of the nominees' work opens at [[Tate Britain]] in late October; and the prize itself is announced at the beginning of December. The show stays open till January. The prize is not judged on the show, however, but on the artists' contribution to art over the previous year. The exhibition and prize rely on commercial [[sponsorship]]. From 1987 this was provided by the company Drexel Burnham Lambert; their withdrawal led to the 1990 prize being cancelled. [[Channel 4]], an independent television channel, stepped in for 1991, doubled the prize money to £20,000, and supported the event with documentaries and live broadcasts of the prize-giving. In 2004 they were replaced as sponsors by [[Gordon's gin]], who also doubled the prize money to £40,000, with £5,000 going to each of the shortlisted artists, and £25,000 to the winner. As much as the shortlist of artists reflects the state of British Art, the composition of the panel of judges provides some indication of who holds influence institutionally and internationally, as well as rising stars. Tate Director Sir [[Nicholas Serota]] has been the Chair of the jury since his tenure at the Tate. There are conflicting reports as to how much personal sway he has over the proceedings. The media success of the Turner Prize contributed to the success of the late [[1990s]] phenomena of [[Young British Artists]] (several of whom were nominees and winners), [[Cool Britannia]], and exhibitions such as the [[Charles Saatchi]]-sponsored ''[[Sensation exhibition|Sensation]]'' exhibition. == Criticism == ===For=== *In 2006 newspaper columnist [[Janet Street-Porter]] condemned the [[Stuckism|Stuckists']] "feeble knee-jerk reaction" to the prize and said, "The Turner Prize and Becks Futures both entice thousands of young people into art galleries for the first time every year. They fulfil a valuable role".Street-Porter, Janet (2006)[http://comment.independent.co.uk/columnists_m_z/janet_street_porter/article485913.ece "Paul is better off without Heather"] ''The Independent'' online, May 18, 2006 (pay to view). Accessed May 20, 2006. ===Against=== * The [[Evening Standard]] critic [[Brian Sewell]], wrote "The annual farce of the Turner Prize is now as inevitable in November as is the pantomime at Christmas". *Critic Jonathan Jones, 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." [http://www.guardian.co.uk/arts/critic/feature/0,1169,1469584,00.html The Guardian] * 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 Gallery|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 [[Kim Howells]] pinned the following statement to a board in a room specially-designated for visitors' comments. ''"If this is the best British artists can produce then British art is lost. It is cold mechanical, conceptual bullshit. Kim Howells. P.S. The attempts at conceptualisation are particularly pathetic and symptomatic of a lack of conviction"'' His stance was approved by the government, who saw it as a popular one. ==Demonstrations== The Turner Prize has attracted a number of demonstrations, usually protesting against the type of art selected. The front steps or pavement outside the museum are a favourite spot, though some have occurred inside the prize itself. * In 1993, [[Jimmy Cauty]] and [[Bill Drummond]] of the [[K Foundation]] received media coverage for the award of the "[[K Foundation art award|Anti-Turner Prize]]", £40,000 to be given to the "worst artist in Britain", voted from the real Turner Prize's short-list. [[Rachel Whiteread]], who won the real prize, also won the anti-Turner Prize. She refused to accept the money at first, but changed her mind when she heard the cash was to be burned instead, and gave £30,000 of it to artists in financial need and the other £10,000 to the housing charity, [[Shelter]]. The K Foundation went on to make a film in which they burned £1 million of their own money (''[[Watch the K Foundation Burn a Million Quid]]''). *In 1998 an illustrator deposited dung on the steps in protest against [[Chris Ofili]]'s work, which included elephant dung. * In 1999 two artists, [[Yuan Chai and Jian Jun Xi]] , jumped onto [[Tracey Emin]]'s work, ''My 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''. They claimed that her work had not gone far enough, and that they were improving it. Charges were not pressed against them. * In 1999 a pro-[[painting]] group of artists known as the [[Stuckism|Stuckists]] was formed. They show particular antipathy towards the Turner Prize, describing it as an "ongoing national joke" and "a state-funded advertising agency for [[Charles Saatchi]]"; they continue: "the only artist who wouldn't be in danger of winning the Turner Prize is Turner", concluding that it "should be re-named The [[Marcel Duchamp|Duchamp]] Award for the destruction of artistic integrity". They have demonstrated outside the prize, sometimes dressed as clowns, every year since 2000, and gained considerable publicity. ==Turner Prize 2005== A great deal was made in the popular press about the winning entry by Simon Starling, which was a shed that he had converted into a boat, sailed down the River Rhine and turned back into a shed again. Two newspapers bought sheds and floated them to parody the work. The prize was presented by Culture Minister, David Lammy. ==Turner Prize 2006== The nominees were announced on [[May 16]], [[2006]]. The exhibition of nominees' work will open at [[Tate Britain]] on October 3. The winner will be announced December 4 during a live [[Channel 4]] broadcast. The total prize money is £40,000. £25,000 is awarded to the winner and £5,000 to each of the other 3 nominees. The [http://www.turnerprize2006.org.uk/ Turner Prize 2006] is supported by the makers of Gordon’s gin. ''[[The Sunday Telegraph]]'' revealed that the judges had been sent a list of shows by artists too late to be able to see them, because the Tate curator responsible, Lizzie Carey-Thomas, was too busy, and instead were being supplied with catalogues and photographs of work.Hastings, Chris (2006)[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/04/30/nturner30.xml "Shows missed by judges, questions over artists… It must be the Turner Prize"] ''The Sunday Telegraph'' online, April 30, 2006. Accessed May 20, 2006 ===Nominees=== *[[Tomma Abts]] *[[Phil Collins (artist)|Phil Collins]] *[[Mark Titchner]] *[[Rebecca Warren]] ===Judges=== *Lynn Barber, journalist, ''[[The Observer]]'' *Margot Heller, Director, [[South London Gallery]] *Matthew Higgs, Director and Chief Curator, White Columns, New York *Andrew Renton, writer and Director of Curating, [[Goldsmiths College]] *[[Nicholas Serota]], Director, Tate and Chairman of the Jury ==Turner Prize 2007== In 2007, for the first time the Turner Prize will be held outside of London, in [[Tate Liverpool]], to support [[Liverpool]] being the [[European Capital of Culture]] in 2008. ==Winners and shortlisted artists== The 1988 shortlist was not published at the time of the prize, and there was no shortlist as such in 1989, although a number of artists other than the winner were "commended". * 1984 - '''[[Malcolm Morley]]''', winner - ''Farewell to Crete'' (oil painting) **[[Richard Deacon]] **[[Gilbert and George]] **[[Howard Hodgkin]] **[[Richard Long (artist)|Richard Long]] * 1985 - '''[[Howard Hodgkin]]''', winner - ''A Small Thing But My Own'' (oil on wood) **[[Terry Atkinson]] **[[Tony Cragg]] **[[Ian Hamilton Finlay]] **[[Milena Kalinovska]] **[[John Walker (painter)|John Walker]] * 1986 - '''[[Gilbert and George]]''', winner - ''Coming'' (photo-piece) **[[Art & Language]] **[[Victor Burgin]] **[[Derek Jarman]] **[[Steven McKenna]] **[[Bill Woodrow]] * 1987 - '''[[Richard Deacon]]''', winner - ''To My Face No.1'' (Plywood, vinyl and tinc in timber frame) **[[Patrick Caulfield]] **[[Helen Chadwick]] **[[Richard Long]] **[[Declan McGonagle]] **[[Thérèse Oulton]] * 1988 - '''[[Tony Cragg]]''', winner - ''George and the Dragon'' (Mixed media) **[[Lucian Freud]] **[[Richard Hamilton (artist)|Richard Hamilton]] **[[Richard Long (artist)|Richard Long]] **[[David Mach]] **[[Boyd Webb]] **[[Alison Wilding]] **[[Richard Wilson (installation artist)|Richard Wilson]] * 1989 - '''[[Richard Long (artist)|Richard Long]]''', winner - ''White Water Line'', (China clay and water solution) **[[Gillian Ayres]] **[[Lucian Freud]] **[[Giuseppe Penone]] **[[Paula Rego]] **[[Sean Scully]] **[[Richard Wilson (installation artist)|Richard Wilson]] * 1990 - prize suspended * 1991 - '''[[Anish Kapoor]]''', winner - ''Untitled'' (Sandstone and pigment) **[[Ian Davenport]] **[[Fiona Rae]] **[[Rachel Whiteread]] * 1992 - '''[[Grenville Davey]]''', winner - ''HAL'' (Steel) **[[Damien Hirst]] **[[David Tremlett]] **[[Alison Wilding]] * 1993 - '''[[Rachel Whiteread]]''', winner - ''House'' Commissioned by Artangel Trust and Beck's (corner of Grove Road and Roman Road, London E3, destroyed 1994) **[[Hannah Collins]] **[[Vong Phaophanit]] **[[Sean Scully]] * 1994 - '''[[Antony Gormley]]''', winner - ''Testing a World View'' (Cast iron, five pieces) **[[Willie Doherty]] **[[Peter Doig]] **[[Shirazeh Houshiary]] * 1995 - '''[[Damien Hirst]]''', winner - ''Mother and Child, Divided'' (Steel, GRP composites, glass, silicone sealants, cow, calf, formaldehyde solution) **[[Mona Hatoum]] **[[Callum Innes]] **[[Mark Wallinger]] * 1996 - '''[[Douglas Gordon]]''', winner - ''Confessions of a Justified Sinner'' (Video installation) **[[Craigie Horsfield]] **[[Gary Hume]] **[[Simon Patterson]] * 1997 - '''[[Gillian Wearing]]''', winner - (Single channel video artwork in colour with sound.) **[[Christine Borland]] **[[Angela Bulloch]] **[[Cornelia Parker]] * 1998 - '''[[Chris Ofili]]''', winner - ''No Woman, No Cry'' (Acrylic paint, oil paint, polyester resin, paper collage, map pins, elephant dung on canvas) **[[Tacita Dean]] **[[Cathy de Monchaux]] **[[Sam Taylor-Wood]] * 1999 - '''[[Steve McQueen (artist)|Steve McQueen]]''', winner - ''Deadpan'' (16mm black and white film, video transfer, silent). **[[Jane and Louise Wilson]] **[[Steven Pippin]] **[[Tracey Emin]], whose ''My Bed'' got the most media attention * 2000 - '''[[Wolfgang Tillmans]]''', winner - ''Installation view from the Turner Prize exhibition 2000'' **[[Glenn Brown]] **[[Michael Raedecker]] **[[Tomoko Takahashi]] * 2001 - '''[[Martin Creed]]''', winner - ''The Lights Going On and Off'' (Installation at Tate Britain, 5 seconds on / 5 seconds off) **[[Richard Billingham]] **[[Isaac Julien]] **[[Mike Nelson (artist)|Mike Nelson]] * 2002 - '''[[Keith Tyson]]''', winner - ''Installation view from the Turner prize exhibition'' **[[Fiona Banner]] **[[Liam Gillick]] **[[Catherine Yass]] * 2003 - '''[[Grayson Perry]]''', winner [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/arts/3298707.stm BBC Online] (vases) **[[Jake and Dinos Chapman]] **[[Willie Doherty]] **[[Anya Gallaccio]] * 2004 - '''[[Jeremy Deller]]''', winner with ''Memory Bucket'' (documentary about Crawford, Texas – the hometown of George W Bush – and the siege in nearby Waco) **[[Kutlug Ataman]] **[[Langlands and Bell]] **[[Yinka Shonibare]] * 2005 - '''[[Simon Starling]]''', winner with ''Shedboatshed'' (a shed that had been turned into a boat and then into a shed) [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4492650.stm BBC news] **[[Darren Almond]] **[[Gillian Carnegie]] **[[Jim Lambie]] * 2006 - winner to be announced on [[4 December]] **[[Tomma Abts]] **[[Phil Collins (artist)|Phil Collins]] **[[Mark Titchner]] **[[Rebecca Warren]] == External links == *[http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/turnerprize/ The Turner Prize at Tate Britain] *[http://www.the-artists.org/MovementView.cfm?id=E5B1732C%2D07FC%2D11D5%2DA94000D0B7069B40 Turner Prize artists and art…the-artists.org] *[http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/turnerprize/history/ A short history of the Prize on Tate Online] *[http://www.briansewell.co.uk/brian-sewell-turner-prize-2004/sewell-turner-prize.html Unofficial guide to Turner Prize 2004] — [[Brian Sewell]]. *[http://www.guardian.co.uk/arts/gallery/image/0,8543,-10204774275,00.html 20 years of Turner Prize winners] — ''[[The Guardian]]''. Gallery showing an image from each of the first 20 years of the competition. ==References in popular culture== *In December 2002 a quiz question on the BBC News website was: ::14 men on toilets, a drag queen and a sailor engaged in a lewd public sex act. What? ::A) Chapter one of Will Self's novel Dorian ::B) The Stuckist Movement's protest against the Turner Prize outside the ceremony ::C) The English National Opera's production of Verdi's Un Ballo in Maschera ==See also== *[[Stuckist demonstrations]] *[[UK topics]] *[[Marcel Duchamp Prize]] ==References== [[Category:1984 establishments]] [[Category:Turner Prize winners| ]] [[Category:Art awards]] [[Category:Contemporary art]] [[Category:British art]] [[Category:Culture in London]] [[Category:London events]] [[Category:British awards]] [[Category:Tate Gallery]] [[de:Turner Prize]] [[fr:Prix Turner]]