Woolgather Art Prize 2011

Stumbling upon the Woolgather Art Prize, and in particular Jo Marsh’s work on display next to a Tesco Metro in Leeds last week was a welcome distraction from the weekly food shop. The Woolgather is a self-funded showcase of artists based in West Yorkshire who aim to provide “an accessible platform for artworks and to celebrate the unresolved, the transitional and possibly the ridiculous.” My kind of thing. It’s up to the public to vote for their favourite from the the 22 artists, leading to cash prizes for the winners.

I’ve always liked artists who display their work in public places – people like Adam Neate for example, a compulsive painter who leaves his art in bars and phone boxes for people to discover. What makes Jo Marsh’s “With love from the artists” so interesting is that her work doesn’t focus not so much on the item that she’s leaving, more on the person who’s chosing to take it. Whether she wins or not I hope Jo continues with the project as it can only get more interesting as it evolves. She’s got my vote anyway.