Creed’s conceptualism raises the question: ‘what is art?’

Media coverage became increasingly disgruntled as the Prize seemed to have become a victim of its own success. This year’s shortlist was seen as ‘obscure’ while a number of critics felt that the Prize had reached a plateau. There was a demand for less elitism in the selection process, less ‘conceptual art’ and an attack was launched on the ‘art-world’ language used to contextualise the exhibition. Awarding the prize to Martin Creed for Work No.227: The lights going on and off only fuelled this sense of agitation. The choice of Madonna as presenter of the award was criticised as a cynical marketing strategy.

Quotes

‘I think people can make of it what they like. I don’t think it is for me to explain it. I mean I like it you know. For me it’s full of life, but I don’t know what other people might make of it and I don’t think it’s for me to tell people what to think.’

– Martin Creed quoted in BBC News, December 2001

‘Take a bare white room with a light switching on and off and what have you got? A Turner Prize winner.’

– Tom Parry, The Mirror, December 2001

‘He wanted to get the biggest effect with the least effort. It’s the dis-proportion between the effort and the effect.’

– Germaine Greer, Newsnight Review, December 2001

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