Martin Boyce Wins Turner Prize 2011
Britain's most controversial and prestigious modern art award, the Turner Prize, has been awarded to installation artist Martin Boyce.
Bookies' favourite Boyce was awarded the £25,000 prize by the world-renowned fashion photographer Mario Testino at the Baltic art gallery in Gateshead.
Speaking after he was awarded winner, the Glasgow born artist said: "I quite like my career at the moment".
Since it was set up in 1984, winners have included such contemporary art luminaries as Gilbert & George, Anish Kapoor, Antony Gormley, Damian Hurst and Grayson Perry.
Fighting it out alongside Boyce this year was installation artist Karla Black, the video artist Hilary Lloyd and the painter George Shaw.
The prize has been a hit with locals, as the shortlist exhibition has seen more than 100,000 visitors flocking to see the nominees' work since it opened in October.
The prize invariably causes controversy every year. This year Charles Saatchi, Britain's most influential art collector, wrote a scathing critique on the contemporary art world. He says that these days art buyers and dealers "can't tell good artists from bad".
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The Huffington Post UK Olivia Williams First Posted: 05/12/11 15:05 Updated: 05/12/11 22:02