A Scotland-based painter known for destroying his large-scale wall murals after they have been exhibited won Britain's best-known art award, the Turner Prize, on Monday.
Muralist takes the Turner
December 8, 2009 at 1:30AM
Richard Wright said he was surprised he beat three other finalists to win the $40,000 prize, which was announced at London's Tate Britain gallery. "I'm shocked -- is there another kind of reaction?" the 49-year-old artist said. Judges said they admired the "profound originality and beauty" of Wright's work, saying his paintings were rooted in the fine art tradition yet "radically conceptual in impact."
The Turner, awarded annually to a British artist under 50, always inspires fierce public debate about the nature of art. Wright beat bookie favorite Roger Hiorns, 34, who transformed a derelict London flat with thousands of gallons of crystal copper sulfate. Other finalists were Enrico David, 43, and Lucy Skaer, 34. ASSOCIATED PRESS
