Minimalism mixed with flour from Turner finalists

Karla Black. Photo / AP

Two Scots are racing to win this year's Turner Prize, Britain's controversial yet prestigious contemporary art award. This year's shortlist will be exhibited in the northeast of England, only the second time the award has been transferred outside London.

Scotland's Martin Boyce, 43, and Karla Black, 38, both educated at the Glasgow School of Art, have been shortlisted for the award. They join Hilary Lloyd, 46, who lives in London, and George Shaw, 44, based in Devon. The quartet's work will go on display at Gateshead's Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in October, before the winner's announcement in December. Boyce has been recognised for a solo exhibition at Zurich's Galerie Eva Presenhuber last year, where he created minimalist installations inspired by 1920s French designers Joel and Jan Martel.

Black, known for using household objects, such as clothing and flour, in her sculptures, was shortlisted for her show at Berlin's Galerie Capitain Petzel.

Her work appeared in this year's British Art Show at London's Hayward Gallery until last month.

Lloyd, who uses video, slides and photography in her installations, and began exhibiting in the 1990s, won her place for a show at London gallery Raven Row.

Shaw came to the judges' attention for his near-photorealistic paintings of suburban backwaters.

- INDEPENDENT