Modern Artistes

I picked this up from Jay Nordlinger’s column today. This year’s Turner Prize, Britain’s “most high-profile–and controversial–arts award,” has been given to a German artist named Tomma Abts. Awarded, in fact, by Yoko Ono! Ms. Abts is known for executing paintings that always measure exactly 18.9 inches by 15 inches. Ms. Abts says that “she begins every piece with no idea what she is about to paint and that they symbolize nothing at all.” Here is a sample of her work:
TurnerPrize23.jpg
The modern art scene puzzles me. Ms. Abts’s work doesn’t strike me as particularly bad; in fact, I certainly would have selected it over the other contenders on the “short list,” which included a guy who makes odd-sounding videos:

Phil Collins

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