Turner nomination for NI artist

Willie Doherty was last nominated for the Turner prize in 1994

Irish video artist and photographer Willie Doherty has been listed among the nominees for this year's prestigious Turner Prize.

Now in its 20th year, the £20,000 Turner Prize - often criticised for being sensationalist or just poor quality - remains the UK's most talked-about art award.

It is the second nomination for the 44-year-old lecturer, who witnessed the Bloody Sunday shootings as a 12-year-old, combines art, history and politics and who was also shortlisted for the prize in 1994.

His works have included news footage of Bloody Sunday mixed with personal accounts, and his images have been praised for giving the Troubles a human touch.

The Londonderry artist currently lectures in fine art at the University of Ulster's Belfast campus.

Mr Doherty said he only became aware of the nomination a few days ago.

It is nice to know that your work is still somehow within the frame and that people are still looking at the work and paying attention

Willie Doherty
Turner nominee

"I was obviously delighted to be shortlisted again for the Turner Prize," he said.

"I was last shortlisted in 1994 - so I know what it is about and what is at stake.

"To be asked a second time is great. My work is significantly different now than it was in 1994.

"It is nice to know that your work is still somehow within the frame and that people are still looking at the work and paying attention."

He said the nominated piece was a "video installation" consisting of two projections which are encountered in a dark space.

"One projection shows a male figure running away from the camera on the lower deck of the Craigavon bridge in Derry.

"The other screen shows the same figure running towards the camera."

Willie Doherty's nominated piece is a "video installation"

The artist first came to prominence with a series of black and white photographs, begun in 1985, which revealed how words can manipulate the reading of an image, challenging mainstream depictions of the conflict.

His nomination for the award is based on "the continuing strength and relevance" of this work in addressing the difficulties of life in a divided society as displayed in his solo exhibition at the Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin 2002 and for his contribution to the group exhibition XXV Sao Paulo Bienal, in the same year.

Professor Hilary Robinson, Head of the School of Art and Design said everyone at the university was delighted for the artist.

"His work has been exhibited in key museums and galleries all over the world and he is an asset to the university," he said.

The other nominees include two of the UK's most controversial modern artists, brothers Jake and Dinos Chapman.

Grayson Perry, a transvestite described as "the Tracey Emin of ceramics"and sculptor Anya Gallaccio have also been nominated.

TURNER ART

Images and information from this year's shortlist

In pictures

The award provoked controversy last year, when culture minister Kim Howells described the nominated artworks as "cold, mechanical, conceptual bullshit".

The director of the Tate and the judging panel, Sir Nicholas Serota, said the jury had come up with "a very interesting shortlist" this year.

Past winners have included Gilbert and George, Anish Kapoor, Antony Gormley and Damien Hirst.

The prize is open to any artist under the age of 50 who is either working in the UK or is British and working abroad.

An exhibition of the shortlisted artists' works will be held at Tate Britain in London from 29 October.