Putting on a powerpoint presentation as a prelude to an awards ceremony doesn’t seem an especially inspiring idea, but Jarvis Cocker wowed the crowd at last night’s Hamlyn Awards presentation by doing just that. The musician, Pulp front man and art aficionado began and ended his droll and at times moving slideshow with an early photograph of the publisher and philanthropist Paul Hamlyn selling books from a market stall. In between he delivered an impassioned paean to culture for all which encompassed Argos catalogues, student living on the Sceaux estate in Peckham—“TV reception was poor, as were we”—and the difference between Paul Hamlyn, democratic purveyor of culture to the masses and the Pied Piper of Hamelin, “a one man musical version of Rentokil”. Honourable mention was also given to the Hamlyn published copy of ‘Siegfried the Mighty Warrior’ given to the young JC for his 60th birthday.
Afterwards came the announcement of the award winners, with the number of awards given to composers now going up from three to five, which matches those given to five visual artists. More good news was that the amount given to each artist in both art forms has also increased from £50,000 to £60,000 in recognition of the rising cost of living. This substantial sum—the largest awards for artists in the UK—comes with no strings attached, emphasizing the admirable fact that this is an award, and not a prize, and an exemplary one at that.
The Hamlyn Awards always pick worthy winners but everyone agreed that this year’s visual arts recipients—Steven Claydon, Peter Kennard, Linder, Charlotte Prodger and Rehana Zaman—comprised a particularly strong lineup. The five, who range from political photomontage artist Kennard (born 1949) to Zaman (born 1982) who works with moving image and performance, especially epitomize the broad reach of the Hamlyn Awards, which set no age limit and focus on the artists themselves rather than on any type of practice or genre. All in all a beacon for our bleak times: for, in the words of the evening’s MC Mr Cocker, “it’s a rat race out there, and maybe art and artists can make it a bit more bearable.”