Tuesday 6 December 2011

Turner revisited: the triumph of the concrete



Monday saw the announcement of the winner of the Turner Prize, the predictably controversial modern-art award, even though none of the nominees is terribly controversial. So the judges would do well to consider a late contender who has entered the fray with an audacious piece of work in the past week: the mysterious reimagining of Stonehenge on a hill on Achill Island, in Co Mayo, by the serial controversialist Joe McNamara.

Dubbed Achill-henge by locals, the huge structure was erected by McNamara and his associates last weekend on a scenic hilltop overlooking the village of Pollagh, despite attempts by Mayo County Council to halt the work...

Martin Boyce: 'Do Words Have Voices'


One can read a report of the actual award of the prize to Martin Boyce here although you should be warned that, apart from the picture, the article, which reads a little like a report of the Oscars ceremony, will make you struggle to learn much about the work itself.

Meanwhile, back at the pre-concrete version, there is a proposal to give it a lighting installation to 'add a little magic'. Ah, how different things might have been for Tess of the d'Urbervilles if they had thought of that before!

A bright dawn at Stonehenge