A sculptor of mussels dirt, flour and other everyday detritus is the grand favourite to win this year Turner Prize, Britain's best-known and most provocative art award.
Organizers on Wednesday appointed four finalists for the award of 25,000 pounds ($ 41,000), awarded annually to a British artist under 50.
Favorite is based in Glasgow Karla Black, 38, who sculpts with unusual materials, including flour, plaster, oil and soil frost.
A single piece, recently on display at Hayward Gallery London, was a mound of large dirt, stratified resembling a multi-level cake or a stone Ziggurat.
Katrina Brown, Member of the jury of the prize, said that used black "materials" very trivial and often surprising including salts of bath, red lipstick and the soil, to create a job with a "vulnerable beauty."
Artist Scottish age of 43 years, Martin Boyce, whose installations inspired by modernism used fences, chairs, dustbin and Neon is also on the shortlist.
The other finalists were London based video artist Hilary Lloyd, 46, who captures the construction sites, road bridges and other scenes urban eeries; and English artist age of 44 years, George Shaw, the only painter among the nominees, which creates tables suburban inspired by his childhood with model enamel paint.
Price Turner, takes its name from the 19th century landscape J.M.W. Turner, was established in 1984 in honor of young British artists.
Prices often sparks a debate animated on the value of modern art. Past winners have reached "Brit Art" as a transvestite potter Grayson Perry, painter dung-swastikas Chris Ofili, pickler Damien Hirst shark.
It also attracts betting of players-loving art. Bookmakers William Hill made black the odds-on favorite to win the prize of this year, followed by Shaw at 5/2, 3/1 Lloyd and Boyce to 4/1 6/4.
An exhibition of works by the finalists opens at the Gallery Baltic in Gateshead, Northern England, on 21 October. The winner will be announced on December 5.
