I know we're supposed to accept that art is whatever artists choose to do, but every time I seem to be getting my head around that concept, the Turner Prize comes along and I'm back to square one.
This year's Prize has been awarded to the improbably-spelt Susan Philipsz for her work Lowlands. This chef d'oeuvre consists of three loudspeakers in a room, through which is played a recording of Philipsz singing a Scottish folk song. Philipsz calls it a "sound sculpture", but most of us would call it "music". Or maybe not: Philipsz herself admits that she can't actually sing , and anyway she didn't write the song herself. Calling her work art may be the only way she can get people to listen to it.
Needless to say the arts community has rallied around. Check out this fabulously pretentious piece from the Guardian, for example -- and be sure not to miss the readers' comments at the end. As for me, I'm wondering what comes next. Maybe the Grammies will give one of Ronnie Wood's paintings their award for Rock Album of the Year.
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