Gothamist recently noted that the renowned Tate in London announced four new-ish artists that have been shortlisted for the The Turner Prize. In past years, the brothers Chapman (Jake and Dinos), who were one of the many controversial artists at the Brooklyn Museum of Art's elephant dung-fueled Sensation show, were shortlisted.
The Turner Prize, awarded to young artists (under 50), has been awarded for 21 years now and is perhaps the mostly widely regarded prize in Europe. Named after JMW Turner, the great painter of seascapes, the prize's jurors are typically critics and scholars of contemporary art. A hefty 20,000 quid are awarded to the lucky bloke who wins.
This year, Kutlug Ataman, Jeremy Deller, Langlands & Bell, and Yinka Shonibare are featured and all of them are bent around political and social critique. Gothamist is curious as to why this year's well-received Whitney Biennial was considered a "happy" show featuring more apolitical works while the Tate is partying like it's college in 1987.
Sidenote: Just a few weeks ago a British warehouse, belonging to Momart and holding many works of priceless art, burned down. The warehouse contained many pieces that were in the Sensation show, including those by Chris Ofili, 1998 Turner Prize winner and creator of that controversial elephant dung piece.
