Banksy Not Nominated For Turnip Prize 2011

Turner prize

Prestigious Turnip Prize Artists Spotlighted as Banksy fails to make final

Banksy the Oscar-nominated filmmaker and graffiti artist has missed out being shortlisted for this years Turnip prize. It would have been his fifth nomination. The work submitted in a gaudy gilt frame is one of his stick figures with text reading, ‘Is Crap art art or is it Crap?’ The prize’s founder, Trevo Prideaux denies that Banksy’s participation is behind the prize’s popularity .“This prize was famous way before Banksy,” said Prideaux, who said he was “amazed” by the originality and simplicity of this year’s entries the winner will be announced on the same day as the Turner Prize, 5 December. 

The Turnip Prize is a spoof  award that satirises the Turner Prize by rewarding deliberately bad modern art. It was created in 1999, but has gained international media attention and inspired other similar prizes. Credit is given for entries that have bad puns as titles, display ‘lack of effort’ and pass the crucial test of ‘is it shit?’; conversely, entries which show ‘too much effort’ or are ‘not shit enough’ are disqualified. The first prize is a turnip nailed to a block of wood.

This year an action man with a postage stamp some nails in a plank of wood and a slab of Swiss cheese in the shape of a letter ‘E’ titled ‘CheeseE’ are among the sculptures up for this year’s award.The 12 year old prize was set up as an alternative to the Turner Prize and seeks to reward the artist who displays as little effort and talent as possible. The trophy prize is a turnip mounted on a rusty nail. The Turner prize set out to be new, innovative and shocking, maybe even anti establishment. Now it is the establishment, if they wanted to be really shocking they should give it to someone who actually shows some talent and ability Whilst the motto of the Turner Prize appears to be “We know its art, but is it shit?” the Turnip Prize clearly states its motto as “We know its shit, but is it art?”. 

Finalists up for the bad art prize have produced a cluster of dolls in a bottle of booze titled ‘Children in Mead’, a nude Action Man toy called ‘First Class Mail’, ‘CheesE’, ‘Half a Stone Lighter’, ‘Fish Full of Dollars’ and ‘Jamming with Muddy Waters’. The award, now in its 12th year and is presented at the New Inn in the village of Wedmore and is billed as an antidote to the high art of Turner Prize.

Past Winners

1999 – David Stone, “Alfred The Grate”, A fire grate, containing two burnt loaves.

2000 – Jacqui Redman, “The Minstrel Cycle”, A bicycle made of Minstrel sweets and Tampons.

2001 – Chloe Wilson, “Nothing”, Which was literally nothing.

2002 – Jenny Vining, “Pissed and Broke (Piston Broke)”, A broken piston.

2003 – James Timms, “Take leaf from my chuck”, An interactive installation of raw chicken stuffed full of leaves

2004 – Pearl E Queen, “Jellied Deal”, A wobbly jelly with submerged playing cards.

2005 – Ian Osenthroat, “Bird’s Flew”, An empty bird nest containing a flu remedy.

2006 – Ian Lewis, “Torn Beef”, An empty Corned Beef can

2007 – Bracy Vermin – “Tea P” – Used Tea bags in the shape of a P

2008 – Ivor Prance – “Fleeced” – A piece of sheeps wool depicting John Sargeant

See link to this years artists

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