THE darkly humorous art of David Shrigley, a Glasgow artist known for his mordant drawings and sculptures, has been shortlisted for the most prestigious prize in contemporary art.
Shrigley, a graduate of the Glasgow School of Art (GSA), is the ninth artist trained at the school shortlisted in the past 10 years of the Turner Prize, which has also named Laure Prouvost, Tino Sehgal, and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye as being in the running for the 2013 prize.
Shrigley, who studied Environmental Art at the GSA from 1988 to 1991, continues the spell of Glasgow prominence in the £25,000 prize, which has previously be won by a series of Glasgow-based or trained artists.
Unusually for a Turner nominee, Shrigley's work is available readily in museum and art gallery shops, with books, cards, and other items bearing examples of his work. He said: "I'm very flattered to be nominated for the Turner Prize. And I'm very happy that the exhibition will be in Derry as Northern Ireland is a great place."
Glasgow's art scene boasts five previous Turner winners –Martin Boyce, Richard Wright, Douglas Gordon, Susan Philipsz and Simon Starling – and the prize will be staged in the city in 2015. Shrigley, originally from Leicestershire, was shortlisted for his show at the Hayward Gallery in London, Brain Activity. The judges said the show, a retrospective, revealed his "black humour, macabre intelligence and infinite jest."
The exhibition included sculptures such as a headless ostrich, a Rich Tea biscuit nailed to a wall, an elongated bronze finger, and a stuffed dog holding a placard saying "I'm Dead".
The Turner Prize exhibition will be on show in Derry as part of the UK City of Culture 2013.
The winner is announced on December 2.
Turner Prize short list:
Laure Prouvost: Born in France, the 35-year-old attended Goldsmiths College in London, as well as Central Saint Martins. Her work involves film-making and installations.
Tino Sehgal: London-born but Berlin-based, Sehgal found his biggest exposure in the UK last year when he was responsible for the annual Turbine Hall commission at Tate Modern. The 36-year-old is mainly known for orchestrating "live encounters" often involving performers who interact with the audience.
David Shrigley: The 44-year-old is based in Glasgow since attending the city's school of art. Turner organisers said he is "a master at blending humour and cynicism with the macabre".
Lynette Yiadom-Boakye: The 35-year-old painter has been recognised for her exhibition Extracts And Verses at London's Chisenhale Gallery. Yiadom-Boakye is the first black woman to have been included on the Turner shortlist since the prize's inception in 1984.
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