Wednesday, October 04, 2006

How Lynn Barber suffered for The Turner Prize

I've stopped reading newspapers. I could try and pretend that it was something to do with trying to be more green but it was really because they kept getting bigger and bigger and it was always such a nuisance getting rid of them, given that my borough seems to be pretending I don't need the same arrangements as everyone else to recycle - but that's another story.........

Anyway, I now read all my news online which saves an enormous amount of both time and effort. My paper of choice is The Guardian and my headlines of choice come from the BBC. I duly read the article on Tuesday by the Arts Correspondent of the Guardian Tate unveils latest contenders for modern art's annual punch-up and got bored. Looking at the entrants on the BBC site's In pictures: Turner Prize exhibition wasn't much better. So I decided to skip making any reference to the Prize in this blog

That is, until I read, Marion Boddy Evans (the Guide for Painting.About.com) this morning and her reference to Lynn Barber's article in The Observer (sister newspaper to The Guardian) on being one of the Turner Prize judges - which I'd completely missed.

I've always loved Lynn Barber's journalism - she's definitely my kind of journalist - and this year, she's also
one of the judges for this year's Turner Prize. I'm not quite sure of her qualifications for judging the Turner Prize and neither was she - but I cannot imagine that they didn't think she'd write about it!

The Turner Prize is organised by the Tate Gallery and is
"awarded to a British artist under fifty for an outstanding exhibition or other presentation of their work in the twelve months preceding 9 May 2006. (The Turner Prize) is intended to promote public discussion of new developments in contemporary British art and is widely recognised as one of the most important and prestigious awards for the visual arts in Europe."
Lynn Barber's article, although long, is an extremely stimulating read. I guarantee your jaw will drop and you'll also splutter if not actually laugh out loud! Get a big mug of the hot drink of your choice and settle down for a good read about the judging process in the world of contemporary art "How I suffered for art's sake"


5 comments:

  1. Thank you for the link – a very entertaining article – and fascinating to discover that the competition is not about the pieces exhibited at the Tate – explains a lot.

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  2. It does, doesn't it. I certainly had never understood that bit of the criteria - and a big thanks to Lynn for enlightening us!

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  3. Thanks for this link Katherine
    I was a guardian fan & a BBC fan before I started blogging and now that's all gone to HELL except for Book at Bedtime and a few other listen-to things...

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  4. A good read Indeed!! Thanks for the link Katherine. Very entertaining...and informative.

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  5. Wonderful to read a sane person talk about contemporary art, in an insane situation. Even in my world--contempary representational plein air painting--judging seems (sometimes) random, left-field. In the end, you can only do your best and hope the works you create find a loving home.

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