Michael Gove’s tirade against the Turner Prize

Introducing Rakewell, Apollo’s wandering eye on the art world. Look out for regular posts taking a rakish perspective on art and museum stories.

The Right Honourable Michael ‘I think the people in this country have had enough of experts’ Gove MP took to twitter last night before the announcement of this year’s Turner Prize:

Why? #TurnerPrizehasnothingtodowithJMWTurnersgenius https://t.co/6pfr2sCurq

— Michael Gove (@michaelgove) December 5, 2016

The Right Honourable Ed Vaizey MP, whose views may be too expert to count (he doesn’t quite seem to have let go of his culture minister brief) replied, gallantly defending the honour of Britain’s leading prize for contemporary art.

@michaelgove @BBCNews @Tate yes it does. It celebrates brilliant contemporary artists

— Ed Vaizey (@edvaizey) December 5, 2016

Michael Gove, however, was having none of it:

@msmirandasawyer @edvaizey @BBCNews @Tate No it doesn't – it celebrates ugliness, nihilism and narcissism – the tragic emptiness of now

— Michael Gove (@michaelgove) December 5, 2016

Nevertheless, he had the good manners to congratulate Helen Marten, a worthy winner –  with caveats.

#Turnerprize2016 – congratulations to Helen Martin but #honestly is this = to Turner, Ruskin, even Holman Hunt – of course not #modishcrap

— Michael Gove (@michaelgove) December 5, 2016

Rakewell is disappointed to learn that Michael Gove has such a low opinion of the Turner Prize – but keen to find out if the former minister has actually been to the exhibition at Tate Britain. Watch this space if Michael Gove’s office rings Rakewell back… In the meantime, ‘The Tragic Emptiness of Now’, sounds like a splendid title for an exhibition – and ‘cabinet minister-turned-curator’ has more than a ring to it…

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