Turnip Prize

The Turnip Prize is a spoof UK award satirising the Tate Gallery's Turner Prize by rewarding deliberately bad modern art. It was started as a joke in 1999, but gained national media attention and inspired similar prizes. Credit is given for entries containing bad puns as titles, displaying "lack of effort" or "is it shit?". Conversely, entries with "too much effort" or "not shit enough" are immediately disqualified. The first prize is a turnip nailed to a block of wood.

History

Conceived in 1999 by management and regulars of The George Hotel (now in the New Inn), Wedmore, Somerset after the exhibition of Tracey Emin's My Bed won the Turner Prize. It is organised by Trevor Prideaux. Announced as, "The Turnip Prize is a crap art competition ... You can enter anything you like, but it must be rubbish." The competition is based on the supposition, "We know it's rubbish, but is it art?". Competitors submitted entries of ridiculous objects posing as contemporary art, mostly made from junk titled with spoofs or puns. The prize is a turnip impaled on a rusty six-inch nail.

In May 2000, the nominees appeared on the BBC TV Esther Rantzen show that has been featured by national and international media.

In 2001, the competition was held in the public conveniences in Wedmore.

In 2002, the "Monster Raving Loony Party" attempted to hijack the competition at The Trotter, Crickham, Wedmore.

In 2003, the winner was James Timms with Take a Leaf out of My Chook, an exhibit of a raw chicken stuffed with leaves.[1] .[2] James Timms subsequently appeared on BBC radio Scotland's Fred Macaulay Show with Ed Byrne.

In 2005, Ian Osenthroat, a 69-year-old former photocopier salesman, won with the exhibit Birds Flew, a bird's nest with a flu remedy box. He commented satirically, "I have entered this most coveted art award on several occasions and I really feel that the lack of effort this year has really paid off."[3]

Winner in 2006 was Ian Lewis with the exhibit Torn Beef, an empty corned beef can. He stated, "The work took no time at all to create." Trevor Prideaux commented, "I believe that over the last seven years the bad artists of Wedmore and surrounding areas have created far better works than Nicholas Serota and The Tate Britain Gallery could ever wish to exhibit."[4] Also in 2006, the BBC's Chief Somerset Correspondent, Clinton Rogers, was immortalised as Clint on a Row of Jars.[5]

In 2007, the competition gained more publicity with the entry of artwork with the title By the Banksea. The painting bears a striking resemblance to work by the famous Bristol graffiti artist Banksy and its origins are likewise a closely guarded secret. By the Banksea portrays a seaside Aunt Sally in the form of a stencil of the Mona Lisa, but in true Banksy-style, Mona Lisa is depicted holding a rocket launcher firing a turnip over the wreckage of a seaside pier and an emergency exit sign. Competition organiser Trevor Prideaux commented: "It does seem to be in Banksy's style. But someone has thought too much about this one and tried too hard. So for that reason it's not likely to win." The piece was duly disqualified for "too much effort, and not shit enough." The 2007 competition was won by Bracey Vermin with Tea P, a group of used tea bags in the shape of a letter P.

Competition entries for 2010 included "Ivor Crush"'s clothes hanger linking the letter U in "Crush", entitled "Hung up on You", and an entry by Banksy, which focused on the recent student protests of the day.[6]

Entries for 2011 included a piece of cheese carved into the letter E, entitled CheeseE, a fish full of dollars. Exhibit of an Action Man toy – called "First Class Mail" – with a carefully placed stamp and a coloured rock called "Half a Stone Lighter". This year's Prize featured on the BBC's Have I Got News For You for two weeks running.[7]

Entries 2012 - 87 entries. [8] [9] [10] [11] [12]

Also featured in The Boston Globe, BBC World Service - Russia.

Entries 2013 - 69 entries. Which included entries from Ireland, Italy, Paris and USA [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18]

Entries 2014 - 69 Entries Which included entries from Canada, USA, Germany and Italy. [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24]

Entries 2015 - 69 Entries Which included entries from France, Czech Republic, Norway and Macedonia. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-35010750. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/howaboutthat/12010395/The-2015-Turnip-Prize-spoof-art-award-in-pictures.html. http://metro.co.uk/2015/12/07/one-rubbish-artwork-to-be-crowned-winner-of-turnip-prize-2015-5549277/. http://metro.co.uk/2015/11/23/the-2015-turnip-prize-the-uks-silliest-art-competition-5521538/. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2511288/Spoof-Turnip-Prize-showcases-total-lack-talent.html. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3349068/Forget-Turner-Prize-s-Turnip-Prize-Spoof-competition-Somerset-pub-set-hand-annual-award-c-p-art.html. http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/news/turnip-prize-the-less-aloof-alternative-to-the-turner-prize-awarded-to-crap-art-a6762796.html. http://www.theisleofwedmore.net/2015-winner-of-the-turnip-prize-at-the-new-inn-wedmore.aspx. http://www.westerndailypress.co.uk/Finalists-announced-Turnip-Prize-2015/story-28227353-detail/story.html.http://www.westerndailypress.co.uk/Artist-Bonksy-wins-Wedmore-s-Turnip-Prize-2015/story-28318199-detail/story.html http://www.samfm.co.uk/bristol/news/local-news/turnip-prize-on-ebay/. Plus Breakfast TV, Wright Stuff and ITV


Winners and shortlisted artists

This list is nearly complete

Other competitions

Many independent "Turnip Prize" competitions are now held around the world, with differing rules made up by those who are running the competitions. Competitions generally aspire to concept, "We know it's rubbish, but is it art?" and competitors submit entries made from junk with titles that are nonsensical or puns. Marks are awarded for amusement and lack of effort, and competitors are frequently disqualified for applying too much effort. In 2001, The Sun tabloid newspaper featured its own Turnip Prize.[25]

In 2002 "The Turnip Award" was opened annually for students at Edinburgh College of Art to "carve or design something out of the humble vegetable".[26] The 2005 prize was a mountain bike.[27] In 2005 a Turnip Prize was staged at St Paul's Gallery in Tower Hamlets, London for local residents.[28]

The term was previously used in 1998 by YBA Jake Chapman of the Chapman Brothers (2003 Turner Prize nominees): "We thought if we couldn't get the Turner Prize we should get the Turnip Prize."[29]

See also

Notes and references

  1. ↑ "Chicken sculpture scoops 'Turnip Prize'". BBC News (01 December 2003). Retrieved 08 January 2007.
  2. ↑ Ananova (2003)"Unicyclist wins Turnip Prize for rubbish art" Daily Times (Pakistan). (05 December 2003). Retrieved 09 January 2007.
  3. ↑ "Bird's nest awarded Turnip Prize". BBC News (06 December 2005). Retrieved 08 January 2007.
  4. ↑ "And this year's prize turnip is ... Ian Lewis!". Weston & Somerset Mercury (11 December 20060. Retrieved 09 January 2006.
  5. ↑ "Turnip Prize 2006" BBC Somerset (01 December 2006). Retrieved 30 January 2007.
  6. ↑ Turnip Prize entries compete for top bad art accolade (slideshow). BBC News Somerset (26 November 2010). Retrieved 30 November 2010.
  7. ↑ Turnip Prize bad art contest finalists are revealed. BBC News Somerset (26 November 2011). Retrieved 27 November 2011.
  8. ↑ Turnip Prize 2012. London Art News (02 December 2012). Retrieved 01 August 2014.
  9. ↑ "Somerset woman wins Turnip prize". ITV West Country. (03 December 2012). Retrieved 01 August 2014.
  10. ↑ "Taking the pee: 'The Three Tenas' crap art prize winner really is pants". Daily Mirror (03 December 2012). Retrieved 01 August 2014.
  11. ↑ "Turnip Prize triumph for Sarah". thisisthewestcountry.co.uk (06 December 2012). Retrieved 01 August 2014.
  12. ↑ "2012 Turnip Prize art award winner announced". Western Daily Press (05 December 2012). Retrieved 01 August 2014.
  13. ↑ "Turnip Prize: See the winner and finalists in Somerset's bad art contest". BBC News Somerset (02 December 2013). Retrieved 01 August 2014.
  14. ↑ "Winner of Turnip Prize revealed". ITV West Country (02 December 2013). Retrieved 01 August 2014.
  15. ↑ "'Play on words' wins top spot at Somerset's Turnip Prize awards!". Burnham-On-Sea.com (02 December 2013). Retrieved 01 August 2014.
  16. ↑ Jennifer Smith (21 November 2013). "Is this the WORST British art has to offer? Spoof 'Turnip Prize' showcases a total lack of talent (and just a touch of satire)". MailOnline. Retrieved 01 August 2014.
  17. ↑ Ruth Ovens (26 November 2013). Cheddar Valley: Turnip Prize 2013 finalists. Cheddar Valley Gazette. Retrieved 01 August 2014.
  18. ↑ cfayfineran (03 December 2013). 'Turnip Prize' showcases an impressive lack of talent. Western Daily Press. Retrieved 01 August 2014.
  19. ↑ Turnip Prize: Ewe Kip wins Somerset bad art contest. BBC. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  20. ↑ Turnip Prize 2014. ITV. (1 December 2014). Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  21. ↑ Ronald White (30 November 2014). Here’s some art you can root for. The Sunday Times. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  22. ↑ Turnip Prize finalists announced. Western Daily Press (27 November 2014). Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  23. ↑ (28 November 2014). Turner Prize spoof, Turnip Prize 2014, finalists announced. Cheddar Valley Gazette. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  24. ↑ Why does the Daily Mail love to hate art?. The Guardian. (October 2014). Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  25. ↑ Spanton, Tim (2001) "It's the Turnip Prize" The Sun (UK) online. Accessed 8 January 2007
  26. ↑ "Edinburgh College of Art Turnip Prize" www.tuco.org, November 2004. Accessed 8 January 2007
  27. ↑ "Artists turnip in their droves" The Scotsman, 28 October 2005. Accessed 9 January 2007
  28. ↑ "Turnip heads the art world" East End Life, 15 August 2006. Accessed 8 January 2007
  29. ↑ Barker, Godfrey (1998) "Back to school, and no virgins" Evening Standard, 8 July 1998. Accessed on findarticles.com, 9 January 2007

External links

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