A special effects artist who has fashioned an ‘urban burka’ from a pair of running trainers, a former artist in residence at the Royal Shakespeare Company who confronts the awkwardness of adolescence, and a Glasgow-based artist concerned with the notion of creativity and isolation are amongst the six artists shortlisted from over 3,500 entries for the £30,000 Threadneedle Prize 2013.

Now in its sixth year, The Threadneedle Prize exhibition which opens on 25th September will include 111 paintings, sculptures and installations by 95 artist from across the UK and Europe. Works were selected by a panel including Dr Barnaby Wright, Curator at the Courtauld Gallery; art-critic Laura Gascoigne; and artists Paul Benney and Tim Shaw. All the works on display are eligible for the Visitors’ Choice Award worth a further £10,000.

Curator Dr Barnaby Wright from the panel said: “During the selection day we saw the notion of ‘figurative art’ being taken in all sorts of different directions, from reaffirmations of traditional practices to explorations of new techniques and ideas. The work demonstrated real artistic commitment and quality, so making a selection for the exhibition was not easy.”

In addition, on 8th October a number of leading figures from across the cultural sector, including Jake Chapman, one half of YBA visual arts duo the Chapman Brothers; Gregor Muir, Director of the Institute of Contemporary Arts; Nitin Sawhney, musician, composer and producer; and Jon Snow, News Presenter for Channel 4, will each select and discuss one work at the Mall Galleries, as part of the annual ‘Critic’s View’.

The Threadneedle Prize is the country’s leading competition for figurative and representational painting and sculpture. At £30,000, it is one of the most valuable art prizes in the United Kingdom. The Prize was established in 2008 with the continued support of Threadneedle Investments, a leading international investment manager, demonstrating its long-term commitment to supporting the arts.

With many high profile art prizes tending towards conceptual and abstract works, the Threadneedle Prize deliberately sets out to raise the profile of representational art within the wider context of contemporary visual art practices and provides an important platform for some of the most exciting artists working today.

Mall Galleries
The Mall (by Trafalgar Square)
London SW1 United Kingdom
Ph. +44 (0)20 79306844
info@mallgalleries.com
www.mallgalleries.org.uk

Opening hours
Daily from 10am to 5pm