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Turner Prize returns to artistic roots
By Tom Teodorczuk, Evening Standard 05.12.06
Tomma Abts: abstract air
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German painter Tomma Abts, who admits that she has no idea what her finished paintings will look like when she starts them, has won the Turner Prize.
Abts, who lives in Clerkenwell, is the first female painter to win the £25,000 prize, which this year was untypically free of controversy.
The abstract painter beat reality TV video artist Phil Collins, installationist Mark Titchner and sculptor Rebecca Warren to land modern art's most famous accolade in a ceremony at Tate Britain last night.
The award to Abts, presented by Yoko Ono, was perceived as the Turner Prize returning to its artistic roots. The first two winners of the 22-year-old prize were painters Malcolm Morley and Howard Hodgkin. The last painter to win was Chris Ofili, who features elephant dung on his canvas, in 1998.
Abts, 38, has been living in London since 1995. She said: "I really like it here. I feel at home. When I came here there was so much more energy here than there was at home."
Abts, who has admitted her paintings don't symbolise anything, said last night of her artistic process: "I start without any idea and then it's a slow process to find shapes and establish abstraction. I aim for an eventual result at some point but not for a while." She added of her victory: "I think it's nice but every artist deserved to win."
Collins made history for being the first shortlisted artist not to have completed his Turner Prize submission by the time of the ceremony.
Unknown to most at the event, Collins said the awards night was also the office party of Shady Lane Productions, the company he set up at Tate Britain, as part of his entry documenting the experiences of former reality TV show contestants.
He told the Standard: "It's been a great ride but there's still work to be done. My entry finishes on 14 January when the Turner Prize exhibition ends. It doesn't matter that I haven't won because tonight this is our office party. We're all really happy." Some art cognoscenti were unconvinced by Abts's geometric pictures which always measure 19 by 15 ins and which derive their titles from a dictionary of German first names.
Nicholas Logsdail, owner of the Lisson Gallery, said: "It's intelligent work but it's very retro. I like 1950s art from the 50s, not from the 21st century. I'm happy for her but if I was on the jury I would have gone for Phil Collins."
Janet Street-Porter said: "I thought Charles Saatchi's recent American art show at the Royal Academy was a million times more exciting."
Christopher Frayling, chairman of the Arts Council, said: "I can see what she's trying to do but it's not quite my thing." But Pet Shop Boy Neil Tennant said: "It's my cup of tea and my cup of tea doesn't usually win the Turner Prize." Norman Rosenthal, Royal Academy exhibitions secretary, enthused: "Tomma Abts is one of the most interesting abstract artists working today. I hope she'll show at the Royal Academy at some point."
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Reader views (5)
You mean a painter has won the Turner Prize? Well, lawdy lawdy! If the old boy from the barber shop in London found out he'd spin all the way into his beloved free flowing Thames!
- Ted, Shetland
Yesterday, I was reading from the Guardian that Brit critics queued up to praise Tomma's work. However, yesterday, she was attacked by the german art critic, Niklas Maak, on the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (Berlin), who was baffled by the decision to prize her with Turner award 2007. He said her paintings looked " like pattern samples from and old German Democratic Republic wallpaper factory". Also added they were no more than "elegant lurchings". Whereas, art critic Adrian Searle (Guardian) championed her work for its "modesty", "inwardness" and "fixatedness" but not for originality as the constructivists and neo-constructivists had done it earlier and better. So he wouldn't call it art, A.Searle, added.
I don't fully share their views but I can figure out why they say so. To me her work seems a kind of hybridation from Brit Op-Art (see Bridget Riley 1960). And if it's art time will tell. For now she has got the award and that's very clever!
- Iris, Wood Green
The shows at the Royal Academy in London? What a lot of tosh! I'd rather give up painting altogether.
- Lily, London
I think Tomma goes through a very complex process to make her paintings. Not my cup of tea: I like far more edgy art, but good on her!
- Carlyle Braden, Croydon, UK
Good! For once I like the winner and she is a lady too. Keep up the good work, Tomma.
- Painter, UK
