Tuesday, December 04, 2007

State Britain



In 1994 Mark Wallinger was showing the piece:

Mark Wallinger, 31, Hayes Court, Camberwell New Road, Camberwell, London, England, Great Britain, The World, The Solar System, The Galaxy, The Universe


at the Saatchi Gallery. It's an enormous photo showing Mark and his brother holding a giant Union Jack (he likes flags), with his name on, outside Wembley. I had just moved in to number 15 Hayes Court, Camberwell New Road, Camberwell, London, England, Great Britain, The World, The Solar System, The Galaxy, The Universe and Mark had hung the actual flag at his window at the front of our block! It was very exciting. I pointed it out to every single person who was unfortunate enough to stand at the bus stop with me.

A year later he was nominated for the Turner Prize and lost to that Damian Hirst. I've kept an eye on what he's been up to ever since and was very pleased to hear this morning that 12 years on, he's finally won the prize with State Britain. Hooray! Here he is talking about The Sleeper.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have always been a fan, and am pleased he now has the rather dubious pleasure of winning the Turner Prize.

Enjoying the rather obvious reporting along the lines of 'artist dressed in bear suit wins........' although that bastion of culture the BBC managed to preface it with, 'it's unfortunate that he will now probably be best known as the artist dressed in a bear suit....'

I have to say, I have a soft spot both for him and Grayson Perry who I find quintessentially English (in the best possible way)

geh

Clair said...

I'm a huge Wallinger fan, but my favourite piece is Angel, involving backwards talking and the escalator at the aforementioned Tube station. Really moving (and not just the escalator).