AN IRISH artist won the prestigious Turner Prize award in London on Monday night.
Duncan Campbell claimed the £25,000 prize for his “essay film”, which was influenced by a variety of sources; from the IRA to Marxism.
Glasgow-native Campbell had been the bookies’ odds-on favourite to win ahead of the awards ceremony.
His 50-minute production, titled “It For Others”, pushed the boundaries. In it, he criticised the British Museum and included a controversial image of Joe McCann, an unarmed member of the Official IRA who was shot dead by British forces in 1971.
The picture Campbell chose for his piece was taken less than a year before the shooting occurred.
After his death, McCann became a cultural icon and had his image emblazoned on everything from Christmas stockings to t-shirts.
The inclusion of these themes was not a surprise – Campbell is known as an artist who pushes boundaries with his work. In particular, he focuses on the British-Irish relationship.
Turner Prize installation: Duncan Campbell, It for Others 2013The prize was presented by the star of 2013’s Oscar-winning 12 Years A Slave, Chiwetel Ejiofor.
Campbell is the fifth graduate of the Glasgow’s School of Art to win the Turner Prize in the past ten years.
The winning piece will be on display at Tate Britain in London until January 4th, along with the works of the three runners up, who each received a £5,000 prize.
2014 marks the 30th anniversary of the Turner Prize.
See More: Duncan Campbell, Turner Prize 2014
