Urgh, the Turner Prize. Tom Jeffreys was there, nearly.
Without wishing to get political – my ignorance in such matters renders any opinions almost completely worthless – the current wave of tube strikes is vastly irritating. Not only do they make everyone in London despise Bob Crow and destroy any sympathy one may have had for workers at TfL, but – and more importantly – today they made me late for the press view of the annual media circus that is the Turner Prize.
That I arrived at Tate Britain at approximately ten minutes past 1pm meant that, unfortunately for you, dear readers, I wasn’t allowed in. A glossy blonde Tate PR lady was plummily clear on this. So I’m afraid I have no idea what the exhibition is like – all I have to go on are the views of Stuckism Co-Founder Charles Thomson, who was outside protesting against the Turner Prize, as he and his figurative painting chums do every year.
Interestingly, the Stuckists weren't the only ones protesting, as a host of photographers objected to Tate's attempts to ban them from publishing anything that "could result in adverse publicity" and threatened a boycott. Apparently Tate quickly backed down.
Anyway back to the art, and according to Charles it’s mostly rubbish, although he admits Dexter Dalwood is “actually OK”. He dismisses the Otolith Group’s video art – as “just a lot of people saying stuff – words”; pans Angela de la Cruz; and likens Susan Philipsz to Tiffany – both of them sing songs in supermarkets, he said.
It was clearly a busy morning for Thomson, who had a brief exchange of views with Tate Director Sir Nicholas Serota. The latter seemed to disown the Turner Prize when he allegedly answered Thomson’s criticisms by saying “you’ve got the wrong guy” – a reference to the fact that the chairman of the judging committee this year is Penelope Curtis. That Curtis was exhibitions curator at Tate Liverpool, and therefore reported, one presumes, more or less directly to Sir Nicholas, was not lost on Thomson.
Thomson also mentioned that he bumped into one of the 2010 Turner Prize judges inside the exhibition. Apparently he was wearing one of the Stuckists’ 2009 demonstration badges, proclaiming “The Turner Prize is Dead”. From his description it must have been writer Philip Henscher – at least he seems to have a sense of humour about the whole thing; unlike, say, Bob Crow, or Tate’s officious PRs.
The Turner Prize 2010 is at Tate Britain from 5th October 2010 to 3rd January 2011.
Click here to see all London exhibitions.
Click here for things to do in London.
Return to Spoonfed's London Art homepage.
Image credit: Susan Philipsz, Lowlands, Glasgow International, Glasgow 2010, Installation view. Courtesy the artist and Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, New York. Photo: Photo: Eoghan McTigue
Add an event
Frieze Art Fair to launch new section for young galleries in 2012
Frieze have today announced details for the 2012 edition, their tenth art fair in London. Taking place...