Threadneedle Winner

Visiting the Mall Galleries website reminded me of the £25,000 Threadneedle Figurative Prize. I'd lost interest in it as soon as I found out we could only vote for one of the 7 finalists (CLICK). No choice: all bummers! Nina Murdoch won with this mess - Untitled -, which is about as close as you can get to abstract without falling off the edge of figurative. It's a London street scene at night, in case you hadn't guessed. Yup, the gel's got diplomas, Carruthers: Slade School of Fine Art (1989-93) and the Royal Academy School (1993-96). What I want to see is talent, not diplomas. How old-fashioned of me! Tim Shaw won the £10,000 Federation of British Artists Selectors' Choice for his sculpture Tank. Oh, that's what it was!