British video artist Elizabeth wins prestigious Turner Prize
Turner Prize won by British video artist who targets consumerism
A video artist whose work draws on historic films and photographs to portray consumerism awarded the 2012 Turner Prize for contemporary art on Monday for an installation inspired by a 1979 fatal fire in a Woolworths store in Britain.
Elizabeth Price’s film, "The Woolworths Choir Of 1979", features archive footage from the blaze in Manchester, in which 10 people died.
The jury praised the "seductive and immersive qualities" of Price’s work, in which she had created a "rhythmic and ritualistic experience." Price, who started out as a singer in an indie-pop group, said hercareer would be "unimaginable" without public support for the arts.
She beat favourite Paul Noble, a visual artist, painter and draughts man, to the prize, which is awarded annually to British artists under age 50.
Actor Jude Law presented the award and the #25,000 pounds (US$40,500) prize at London’s Tate Britain gallery, where the four short-listed artists have been displayed since May. The other three finalists got 5,000 pounds each.
