Anish Kapoor
Untitled 1990
Fibreglass, pigment
Prada Collection
In 1991 Channel 4 became the new sponsor in a three-year deal that included a television programme dedicated to the artists and the prize-giving ceremony. Tighter rules were introduced and amended to: ‘a British artist under fifty for an outstanding exhibition or other presentation of their work in the twelve months preceding’.
The prize seemed to take on a new life when three artists under the age of thirty were shortlisted, prioritising recent developments in current art practice. However, it was no surprise that Anish Kapoor, as the most established artist (and also the bookies’ favourite), went on to win.
In this year each artist was given significantly more gallery space and this, combined with extensive press coverage, meant the exhibition was successfully reaching the broader audience it had originally set out to address.
Artists and works on display:
Anish Kapoor
Untitled 1990
Fibreglass, pigment
Prada collection
Since the late 1970s, Kapoor has developed a rich and unique sculptural language often informed by archetypal images: void, mountain and vessel. The transformative quality of colour has played a key role in his art.
By covering form in pure pigment he creates a sense of space that is generated by the relationship between the body and object – a ‘non-space’ and ‘non-object’ that gives a sensation of the sublime. The artist comments, ‘The Void is really a state within. It has to do with fear and inner darkness.’