December 4, 2024 - 1:00pm
Jasleen Kaur has been announced as the 2024 Turner Prize winner. According to the BBC, judges praised the artist for her “unexpected and playful combinations of materials”. The BBC was entirely correct in describing the combination in her entry, Sociomobile, as “unexpected” — I was certainly surprised to stumble upon a doily-covered Ford Escort in Tate Britain, a national gallery. And “playful” could perhaps refer to a deceitful trick masking itself as art.
Ultimately, this development is another example of the abandonment of artistic principles which increasingly characterises public institutions in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1984 to stimulate interest in contemporary art and contribute to the Tate’s acquisition of new work, the Turner Prize is symbolic in this respect.
Contemporary art provokes controversy by its very nature. Artists rework and test the limits of established visual languages in order to describe the modern experience. Institutions — through the actions of acquisition and display — affirm and present certain art-historical narratives, and by doing so indicate value. This is especially fraught for public institutions, which allocate taxpayers’ money towards certain types of art. The Turner Prize is unapologetic in its accreditation of artistic worth: cash is awarded annually to four “outstanding” artists, including one overall winner, all of whom are decided by a jury.
The problem is, experiments in artistic expression have increasingly shifted from aesthetic concerns to those rooted in concept and political self-flagellation. The desperation to be “radical” or represent “overlooked histories” results in works that share the same hoary terminology.
Several of the shortlisted artists for this year’s Turner Prize presented their work from a “decolonial” perspective. Interrogation of British identity and its shadows of Empire are certainly influenced by the national remit of the competition. The Turner Prize is awarded to a British artist, which unsurprisingly invites discussion about what it means to be “British”, as per the competition webpage.
The installation of another shortlisted artist, Pio Abad, comprises long wall texts denouncing the American government for its treatment of the Philippines. Meanwhile, judges commended Kaur’s work for “speaking imaginatively to how we might live together in a world increasingly marked by nationalism, division and social control”. These two artists presented work with the least grounding in reality out of the four nominees. Kaur’s assemblage of objects is practically impenetrable without explanation, while Abad may as well have pasted pages from Edward Said’s Orientalism on the wall.
Artistic standards of “excellence” are not rewarded by the Turner Prize. There remained a glimmer of hope that the prize would be awarded to Claudette Johnson, who is clearly the most artistically talented of the four shortlisted artists. Her pastel, gouache, and watercolour portraits of black women and men, while centred around the legacy of slavery, communicate meaning without the necessity for explanatory text, due to her figurative style.
All the artists prioritised identity as the theme of their display. Delaine Le Bas’s exhibition explored Roma culture, completing the quartet. Identity politics also managed to seep from the gallery floor to the entrance, as pro-Palestine protests thronged the gallery exterior in the lead-up to the awards ceremony.
Kaur echoed their demands in her acceptance speech: “I want the separation between the expression of politics in the gallery and the practice of politics in life to disappear.” Any ambiguity raised by these words would have been dispelled by her choice to follow them with: “ceasefire now, arms embargo now, free Palestine”. She wore a Palestinian flag during the ceremony, just as 2023 winner Jesse Darling chose to wave one during his victory speech a year ago.
Clearly, then, the Turner Prize is stuck in the political mud, rewarded by a self-feeding system which speaks the same language.
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SubscribeAs an iconic piece of 1980s industrial design and engineering, the third-generation Ford Escort truly deserves the Turner Prize. Not sure what that doily thing is doing draped over it though…
The doily represents the domestication and familiarization of mass industrial processes, using a decolonial praxis of radical playfulness, in a time of complacency over the role of
This, from ChatGPT:
Nailed it!
I couldn’t have put it better myself. Not that I would have wanted to. Gobbledygook.
There’s a Tony Hancock episode “The bedsit” in which he takes on a bohemian and intellectual life. He decides to have a go at Bernard Russell. Opens the book and immediately goes for the dictionary.
Hours later, we return to see he’s still on page one.
Reader, I am Hancock
*Bertrand Russell
I rather like this sage advice:
Q. Hey ChatGPT, describe how to win the Turner Prize in 5 steps:
A. Winning the Turner Prize, one of the most prestigious awards in contemporary art, requires a combination of artistic innovation, critical engagement, and strategic visibility. Here’s a five-step approach to maximize your chances:
Step 1: Develop a Distinctive Artistic VisionThe Turner Prize rewards originality and boundary-pushing ideas.
Embrace experimentation: Explore new mediums, technologies, or unconventional materials.Engage with contemporary issues: Your work should reflect or challenge societal, cultural, or political themes.Create a signature style: Develop a recognizable aesthetic or conceptual framework that sets you apart from others.
Step 2: Build a Strong Portfolio and Exhibition HistoryYour body of work and its public reception are crucial for consideration.
Show in reputable galleries: Aim to exhibit in recognized spaces known for supporting contemporary art.Participate in art biennials or group exhibitions: These provide exposure to curators and critics.Document your work: High-quality photography, video documentation, and critical writing about your art can bolster your profile.
Step 3: Gain Critical Acclaim and Media AttentionThe Turner Prize jury considers how well your work engages critics and audiences.
Network with art critics and curators: Build relationships with influential figures in the art world.Leverage social media and online platforms: Share your work widely to reach a broader audience.Invite critical reviews: Positive media coverage in art publications can attract the jury’s attention.
Step 4: Be Nominated or ShortlistedThe Turner Prize nomination process is highly competitive.
Be visible to nominators: These are often curators, critics, or prominent artists, so make your work accessible to them.Meet the eligibility criteria: The prize is awarded to British artists or artists working in Britain for a specific exhibition or project from the previous year.Consider collaborations: Group works or interdisciplinary projects can also be compelling.
Step 5: Create a Memorable Exhibition for the PrizeIf shortlisted, your presentation at the Turner Prize exhibition is critical.
Focus on impact: Create an installation or display that captivates the jury and audience.Refine your conceptual narrative: Ensure your work is thought-provoking and sparks conversation.Engage with the public: Interaction, participation, or socially engaged practices can resonate well with contemporary audiences.
Bonus Tip: Embrace Controversy (Cautiously) The Turner Prize often rewards work that challenges norms and provokes debate.
Push boundaries: Don’t shy away from difficult or provocative subjects.Anticipate critique: Be prepared to defend and articulate your artistic choices.While there’s no guaranteed formula for winning the Turner Prize, combining innovative art with strategic visibility and critical engagement can significantly increase your chances.
**
Love that bonus tip. So AI can do satire and irony after all. Who knew!
It forgot to include that a bit of pro-Palestinian virtue signaling might just be the edge you need to get your work over the line.
I think ‘Embrace controversy (cautiously’ covers that nicely, Seb. Chucking a tea towel on your head and making a snidely-coded comment about genocide ‘midst an Oxbridge middle class monoculture at The Tate is simultaneously cosplay edgy and yet safely orthodox. It’s the contemporary equivalent of dropping a crucifix – not, say, a piccy of Mohammed – in a glass of wee.
A facsimile of ‘controversial’; ‘risky’ art swaddled in an air bag and attached to a safety harness, ‘transgressive’ only in the same way as your mum and dad buying you your first porno magazines and assuring you that it’s OK to masturbate.
FFS
Hysterically funny piece of writing and sadly so typical of the utter b####t written about the world of art – and produced by the world of art. I have preserved it (not in formaldehyde) for whenever I need a laugh.
I was a little disappointed it wasn’t an XR3i, with “egg poacher” wheels.
Yes, the third (and fourth) generation Escort was a pretty good car. Just as well they chose that and not the fifth gen version which was far less well received. MkI really is the one to go for though. The classic car prices don’t lie.
The car is both better and older than the artist. The plastic wheel arch trims are really letting it down though.
Beats me why anyone pays any attention to any of these prizes these days.
Let me explain. It’s a “doily cart” – geddit!
Parasites!
What a brilliant concept for next year!
Stick ’em in a petri dish under a microscope, project it onto an Israeli flag and call it Genocide! or something of that ilk.
If you need extra votes, pretend to be trans.
Pretentious crap! The jury must have fascinated eating dinner parties at which they debate the artistic expression and different meanings of each identical dinner plate.
There was an ad, years ago. Some art critics were discussing the merits of some cleaning equipment at an art gallery. Of course, the cleaner came to collect them to get on with her work.
Had to laugh at this; “The installation of another shortlisted artist, Pio Abad, comprises long wall texts denouncing the American government for its treatment of the Philippines.”
Maybe the artist prefers the treatment the Philippines is currently subjected to by China.
But it’s the same controversy every time, and the only shock is that something this uninspired and uninspiring is winning a prize. And even that isn’t really a shock anymore.
Yes no shock at all – just a yawn at the unoriginality and banality of the offering.
Conceptual art is designed to demand existential questions of the engaged observer. This piece succeeds magnificently.
How would the windscreen wipers work?
Deep man, deep
The engine should have been running to bring in global warming.
By ‘modern art’ what you mean is leftism. Leftist art is leftism. Who cares. If you really want to wind up leftists, then stop paying attention to their slop and focus on actual art, both traditional and modern.
Ignore the Turner prize and set up and counter prize for actual art, and pay no attention at all to leftist ‘art’. Leftists are trolls who want your attention.
The monetary value of the Turner prize is only about £20k and the only reason people pay any attention to it, aside from artists, is to mock it. It just makes the news because it’s so ridiculous, which makes it look like peopke care, but they don’t.
I think a morris marina would have had more resonance
“I was certainly surprised to stumble upon a doily-covered Ford Escort in Tate Britain, a national gallery”
Less of a surprise if it were the Tate Modern, I guess.
So… the “Volkswagen On My Drive” is actually an art installation? Unless I’m driving to the shops, of course.
Tell that to the Parking Person that wants to ticket it if you leave it on double yellow lines. Philistine leave my installation unblemished by your ugly ticket!
Art installation if it has Chris Burden nailed on the roof
Isn’t this a Marcel Duchamp readymade?
Yes, not very avant garde is it after a century has passed.
Just two things.
Modern artists will produce whatever is “modern”, but art is probably the oldest means of cultural communication, and what survives has meaning for humans in any era. There are other artists producing work right now that may resonate far more meaningfully in 200/500 years (if we’re still around).
Anything in a gallery that either includes text, or requires text, doesn’t belong there.
I wish the taxpayer was relieved of the burden of funding art.
Wot about the number plate?
A. 2 BAC.
Can ChatGPT reveal all ?
I really enjoyed this piece.
I rather liked it but may I perhaps suggest an improvement. A young lady draped in the nude across the bonnet might have given the young and not so young a resonance of their place of conception.
Welcome to the banality of current creative thinking. I did a degree in something called Contemporary Art Practice, and it seems little has changed, apart from the current requirement of Jew- hatred
“ Artistic standards of “excellence” are not rewarded by the Turner Prize. There remained a glimmer of hope that the prize would be awarded to Claudette Johnson, who is clearly the most artistically talented of the four…”, tawdry condescension, after all the spiel! Claudette is bad, just bad. Perhaps in a bad art competition she woulda won.
Tom Stoppard quote: “Skill without imagination is craftsmanship and gives us many useful objects such as wickerwork picnic baskets; imagination without skill gives us modern art”
Sadly, contemporary art has become a heap of complacent hard-left, trans, eco-terrorist or pro–Hamas propaganda posturing as radical when it’s in fact predictable and banal. It is indeed the 21st century version of stale academism but with a rebel veneer and totally devoid of any sense of beauty – in short completely pointless.
As usual, the Turner Prize award recognises crap, not art.
A true artist demonstrates technical skill of the highest order in drawing, painting or sculpture. Picasso is a good example – although his cubist art may not be to everyone’s tastes, they are work of technical as well as artistic genius. And Picasso’s life drawings exhibited exquisite skill and technique.
So-called art of the winning kind here is an affront to millennia of artistic genius and is devoid of any skill, technique or soul. The ‘art’ establishment is merely a reflection of the post-modernist cynicism that has destroyed so much of western culture and replaced it with soulless, tasteless, contemptuous arrangements that have no place in the canons of genuine fine art.
Uggggh!
Yeah. Horrible, as usual!