ARTinvestment.RU presents the story of the main prize in the world of contemporary art

• Damien Hirst Mother and Child Divided
  Source: heylondon.wordpress.com
  Sir Nicholas Serota . Source: independent.co.uk

• MARK Leckie Movies from all sides
  Source: bbc.co.uk
  Richard Deacon For those who have eyes
  In the background - the work of Gilbert and George
  Source: guardian.co.uk
  RACHEL UAYTRED House. Source: damonart.com
  Antony Gormley Angel of the North
  Source: skyscrapercity.com

Turner Prize was established in 1984. She handed in early December in a building owned by the network of British Museum Tate. Each year, the chairman and four members of the jury chosen four artists who will compete for the award. The winner, whose name is announced at the awards ceremony some well-known personality, receives 25,000 pounds, and the opponents to get a 'consolation prize "of $ 5,000. From October to January in the Museum Tate Britain held an exhibition where you can see the work of the nominees. Apply for the award can only be those in the previous 12 months presented in any British museum or gallery interesting project.

The articles on the Turner Prize, many journalists and critics often used the term " scandalous. His great glory reward earned by the fact that winners and nominees over the years it became the artist-provocateurs, various "enfant terrible of contemporary British art. In 1995 the prize was awarded to Damien Hirst (Damien Hirst), the main "bad boy" art establishment. He presented to the jury the installation of the cut in half carcasses of cows and calves, floating in formaldehyde. Three years later the award went to another kicker, a British artist of Nigerian descent Chris Ofili (Chris Ofili), who "embellished" his paintings elephant dung. Work nominated in 1999 by Tracey Emin (Tracey Emin) and looked at all shaped demarche - unmade bed, which lay empty bottles, packs of cigarettes and other rubbish.

a long time the phrase "Turner Prize "associated with" mafia "consisting of numerous proteges megakollektsionera Charles Saatchi (Charles Saatchi). It said the prize laureate in 2006 Thomma Abts (Tomma Abts), at one time met with Chris Ofili, "in each list of nominees is someone whom you personally know. This "mafia", is also linked with a gallery of Jay Jopling (Jay Jopling) White Cube, was called "Young British Artists". Turner Prize has had a decisive influence on the fate of these authors, becoming a symbol of shocking contemporary art.

However, in the past few years premium does not justify his outrageous image. The same Thomma Abts provokatorshey certainly not be called. It creates small abstract paintings, evoking a retro futurism lovers sweet nostalgia for 1950. On the creation of paintings, which she calls the few German names, it takes several years. Such "serious" painters in the Turner Prize shortlisted come across very often, and even more rarely they are awarded prizes. For example, the creator of the "metaphysical" landscapes of Peter Doig (Peter Doig), which, like Abts, his works no one is shocking and excessive fertility is not affected, was nominated in 1994 but did not receive a prize - the jury basically pamper those representing video works and installations. In 2005 the main "scandal" was the inclusion in the shortlisted artist Gillian Carnegie (Gillian Carnegie), who wrote the usual still-lifes, landscapes and nudes. In recent years, scandals of the awards were now such "muted" - not exactly a decade earlier. Last year, the Turner Prize do not darken any scandal: critics called the work of all the nominees are too boring, anemic and academic. winner of the award was the only man in the list of nominees, Mark Leckie (Mark Leckey) , whose product, apparently, the jury seemed the least boring. In general, in 2008 all the attention of journalists writing about art has focused on Belyaev-Gintovt, award-Kandinsky . It is said that the Turner Prize has ceased to be such a great "holiday" because of the change of the chairman. For many years he headed the head of the network Tate, Sir Nicholas Serota (Nicholas Serota), through which appeared Museum Tate Modern, Tate Liverpool and Tate St. Ives, but in 2007 it was replaced by director of the Liverpool "branch" Christoph Gryunenberg (Christoph Grunenberg), and in 2008 - the head of Tate Britain Stephen Dyushar (Stephen Deuchar). Before Serota jury chairman was the head of the gallery Tate (today's Tate Britain) Bauness Alan (Alan Bowness).

Scandals accompanied the Turner Prize from the outset. When the only reward came, no age restrictions for nominees not. It was expected that the prize will be given "for his contribution to British art." But the winner was the painter Malcolm Morley (Malcolm Morley), who lived in New York, "put" their ideas in American art in the UK for 26 years, almost did not appear. The jury's decision was criticized by many people, including Culture Minister Lord Grey Gauri (Grey Gowrie), which was presented the award. In the next two years, all, however, was calm enough, awards were classics of postwar British art: in 1985 - Howard Hodgkin (Howard Hodgkin), and in 1986 - Gilbert and George (Gilbert & George). Before the 1991 was never put an age limit, for the award were nominated many grandees of modern art, including Lucien Freud (Lucian Freud), Derek Jarman (Derek Jarman) and the group Art & Language. In 1987, there was a small "revolution": the award is not given a "living classic" once and is listed in the tables of the history of art, but it is a current artist, a representative of the movement the "New British Sculpture" by Richard Deacon (Richard Deacon). As Neo-expressionism, "New British Sculpture" emerged in the early 1980's as a reaction to conceptualism and minimalism. "Calling Card" members of this movement was fantastic objects from traditional and nontraditional materials, often affecting their huge size. Turner Prize awarded to three more "new British sculpture: in 1989 became the winner of Tony Cragg (Tony Cragg), in 1991 - Anish Kapoor (Anish Kapoor), and in 1994 - Antony Gormley (Antony Gormley). The latter two, no doubt, are now the most famous sculptors in the country. Their enormous success is largely linked to the increased interest in the Turner Prize, awarding a just a year of victory Kapoor was broadcast on television.

television plays in the history of the Turner Prize a crucial role. As the saying goes, "a blessing in disguise". In 1989 the award was given to the creator of works of "land art" Richard Long (Richard Long), and in 1990 the prize is not awarded - investment firm Drexel Burnham Lambert, as principal sponsor of the exhibition, went bankrupt. It seemed that prize came to an end. But next year at the arena was a British television station Channel 4, through which the prize fund doubled (in 1980 it was 10 thousand pounds) and the awards ceremony was broadcast live. So the Turner Prize has become the national sport of Great Britain. Here is just "Young British Artists" Came. In 1991, Kapoor was the only nominee, does not belong to this group: the others - Ian Davenport (Ian Davenport), Fiona Rae (Fiona Rae) and Rachel Uaytred (Rachel Whiteread) - belonged to the "gang" of Damien Hirst. Sam Hurst entered the shortlisted in 1992, along with three friends, one of which, the sculptor Grenville Davey (Grenville Davey), in the end and won. Devi is perhaps the most unknown winner of the award. When he won, newspapers indulged in wit: "Grenville who? .." The victory of the artist most associated with the reluctance of jurors to recognize the new realities of the British art: the work of Davy, although he and a comrade Hirst, more reminiscent of the "New British Sculpture" than furious neokontseptualizm "Young British Artists". Davey inspired creativity of Richard Deacon and Tony Cragg, his, like all "new sculptors, representing gallery Logsdeyla Nicholas (Nicholas Logsdail) Lisson Gallery. But next year, "everything fell into place" and the jury finally recognized the "young growth": the prize was Uaytred Rachel, who presented a tremendous job in a cast house. She became the first woman honored with awards. Around her "home" flared public debate: the sculpture was installed in a residential area, half of whose inhabitants required to destroy it, the other half - to leave. In the same year Uaytred received "anti-Turner Prize", which established the rogues in the group KLF, Bill Drummond (Bill Drummond), and Jimmy Kochi (Jimmy Cauty). They threatened Uaytred in the case of her refusal to award (40,000 pounds - twice that of the Turner Prize) to burn the money in her eyes. The artist has a very sensible decision to take those 40,000 and donate them to charity.

Thanks to the Turner Prize debate about "Art is either still there, took an unprecedented scale. Nominees for the award came to be perceived as such things gladiators, who, as participants in reality shows, "peck" on all sides. Many famous artists such as Julian Opay (Julian Opie), rejected the nomination - too much public pressure. In 1997, the winner was Gillian Wearing (Gillian Wearing), presented a video "60 minutes of silence" in which actors in the costumes of police for an hour standing and looking into the camera. In this regard, debates were held, which was invited by Tracey Emin. "Participation" in the television show brought her fame - doubtful, but the entire country: Emin said in the studio totally drunk, cursing all the naughty words, then declared that he wanted to mother, and left. Two years later, had a scandal with an unkempt bed, because of which many people mistakenly believe that Emin won. In fact, the winner in 1999 became the video artist by Steve McQueen (Steve McQueen) - the second after Chris Ofili, black winner.

public dissatisfaction with the Turner Prize was extreme in 2001 when its owner was conceptualist Martin Creed (Martin Creed). Its installation consisted of a completely empty room, where at regular intervals switch on and off a light. Two years later, the winner was chosen, transvestite potter Grayson Perry (Grayson Perry), came out to receive the award in a pink dress. Also in 2003, the award nominated brothers Jake and Dinos Chapman (Jake & Dinos Chapman), known for their incredibly brutal and shocking installations. In general, all sisters - for earrings, and all the rowdy - the nomination, and even for decoration. But last year, due to "anemic" works of the nominees, many began to wonder: what if the "golden age" Turner Prize is already behind us?

question is not accidental: although Serota and not come up with a prize, it was he who held her "rebranding", attracted attention of the public. Today's mega-popular modern art - this is very much to his credit. Exhibitions of nominees for the Turner Prize attracts a lot of people for whom they saw becoming a cause for heated debates on "who should win and why." Trying to formulate answers to these questions, people are thinking about what art they like, what they expect from contemporary artists and the role these artists play in society. Even the most high-risk installations, such as a room with lights "by Martin Creed, can give the audience an incentive to learn more about why this art is about, and get acquainted with the theories of the classical minimalism and conceptualism. Of course, many works of the nominees (the same "Bed" by Tracey Emin) scare people with his bizarre cheap and inspire a false belief that the goal of all modern artists - the shock and shock, but they stimulate discussion about what artistic taste and that from the standpoint of morality can be shown in cultural institutions, and what does not. Moreover, the Turner Prize bypasses all too sinister representatives of actual "art" that can record on video killing animals and offering to exhibit in the galleries of people dying.

With the popularity of the Turner Prize for the number of new authors last fifteen years has greatly increased. Parents can see that the profession of an artist can bring glory, honor and money, and are increasingly sending their offspring to specialized schools and art studio. According to Chris Ofili, to him often approach people and say that they are in every way to help their children if they decide to become artists. Winner in 2005 Simon Starling (Simon Starling) said that fans often send him their poems and videos.

Career absolute majority of the holders of the Turner Prize has developed very successfully. Perhaps it was only about Grenville Davey now can not hear anything - he chose madness of art-world calm career university professor. Many winners have achieved a truly great success. For example, Damien Hirst is now one of works among the most expensive living artist . Last year, ArtReview magazine put him on top in the list of most influential people in the art world . Somehow Hearst even got to decorate London enormous sculpture of pregnant women with half-stripped skin.

large-scale art projects can boast not only Hearst. In 1998, in Gateshead was installed a huge statue of the Angel of the North ", created by Antony Gormley. Initially scoffed at her, but then got used and even loved, and now the winged statue is one of the main attractions of the region. Last year it was announced that Britain will in five districts of England will the giant structure, designed by Anish Kapoor . А в феврале стало известно, что в городе Эббсфлит появится 50-метровая скульптура белой лошади, которую создаст обладатель премии Тёрнера 2007 года Марк Уоллингер (Mark Wallinger). Он стал победителем конкурса на лучший проект «Ангела Юга», в котором участвовали другие Тёрнеровские лауреаты — Рейчел Уайтред и Ричард Дикон. В 2005 году Уайтред получила в свое распоряжение одно из главных выставочных пространств Великобритании — Турбинный зал Тейт Модерн. Тремя годами ранее той же чести удостоился Аниш Капур.

Британия очень гордится своими героями — многие из победителей и номинантов премии Тёрнера представляли страну на Венецианской биеннале. Среди тех, кто удостоился этой чести, — Тони Крэгг, Аниш Капур, Марк Уоллингер, Рейчел Уайтред, Крис Офили и Трейси Эмин. В 2009 году британский павильон будут украшать работы Стива Маккуина. В прошлом году вышел его первый полнометражный фильм «Голод», который стал одним из главных кинособытий года. Маккуин даже получил «Золотую камеру» Каннского кинофестиваля.

Факт существования премии Тёрнера очень влияет на творчество молодых художников. Теперь любой выпускник английского художественного вуза знает, что осуществимы даже самые невероятные проекты. По словам Ховарда Ходжкина, получившего премию в 1985 году, такие художники, как Энтони Гормли, являются «продуктами» общественного сознания, привыкшего к тому, что искусство — это грандиозно, это «круто», это «для всех». Так же как и «звездные» архитекторы, «звездные» художники пользуются поддержкой властей и имеют доступ к значительным финансовым ресурсам. Теперь художник может трансформировать имидж целого города, как это сделал Гормли со своим «Ангелом Севера». Но популярность премии и ее лауреатов может оказывать и негативное воздействие на творчество молодых авторов, которые начинают видеть для себя исключительно один путь — сенсационный неоконцептуализм, который, как отмечает Ходжкин, стал «новым видом официального искусства». Такой «мягкий тоталитаризм» мешает начинающим художникам разобраться в том, что им действительно больше всего подходит. Результат — огромное количество посредственного «концептуального искусства» от молодых и не очень авторов, которые могли бы действительно свободно творить, если бы не подчинялись стандарту.

Материал подготовила Юлия Максимова

Источники: guardian.co.uk, telegraph.co.uk, artinvestment.ru