Interviewer by morning, Turner Prize winner by night

The end of term is a busy time for all Oxford academics and students. But few can have had as busy a day as Dr Elizabeth Price last Monday (7 December).

Dr Price, a lecturer in fine art at the Ruskin School of Drawing & Fine Art, spent the morning interviewing fine art candidates at Lady Margaret Hall (LMH) before taking the bus up to London to receive the Turner Prize in the evening.

'I was part of the team interviewing prospective students for the BA that morning, then I headed up to London at lunchtime, to get changed and go to the Tate,' Dr Price says.

'It was good to start with a normal day's work actually: to keep things in perspective and not get too anxious.'

Dr Price took up her position at the University in October, having earlier studied here as an undergraduate.

She says: 'I'm part of a really friendly, knowledgeable and enthusiastic staff team at the Ruskin, and am enjoying meeting people from all disciplines at Lady Margaret Hall.

'The Ruskin is unique because it is a rather small art school (in terms of population): this creates a special sense of community.'

The successful candidates from last week’s interviews can look forward to tutorials with Dr Price next year. James Lomax, an undergraduate student in Fine Art at the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art, is already benefiting from Dr Price’s teaching.

'I have tutorials with Elizabeth every couple of weeks lasting one to two hours,' he says. 'We talk about studio work, looking at individual pieces and my work as a whole. She is very perceptive and astute; helping me gain confidence as I push my practice forward in my final year.

'Her Turner Prize win is a great success for both her and the Ruskin. I think it really shows how the Ruskin is pushing boundaries right now.'

Jason Gaiger, head of the Ruskin School, says: 'I am thrilled for Elizabeth, whose work demonstrates the vitality of contemporary art practice and its ability to address themes of enduring social significance.

'Elizabeth is an inspirational teacher, who has made invaluable contributions at both undergraduate and graduate level. She is taking a leading role in the further development of the Ruskin School, including the launch of a master’s programme and the integration of Fine Art research into the wider academic community.'

Frances Lannon, historian and principal of Lady Margaret Hall, adds: ‘We are delighted that Elizabeth’s work has been honoured with the Turner Prize. Elizabeth is a valued and active member of LMH – she gave a great presentation on her work just last week.'

At the awards ceremony, Dr Price gave a passionate defence of the arts and humanities and their importance in universities and education more generally.

'These views are long held and I would hope to take them with me and to voice them whenever I work,' she explains.

'I have only just started work at the University, but it is already clear that Oxford provides a unique and excellent educational environment: one that I believe should be available to anyone in a position to succeed within it, regardless of their social background.'

Dr Price's award-winning video installation is now on display at Tate Britain in London. And look out for Dr Price’s work in future.

'I have not had many major shows, indeed it was my first major exhibition at Baltic that was nominated for the prize. So this process has introduced my work to many people both inside and outside the profession,' she says.

'I hope it will mean I have the opportunity to make work I wouldn't otherwise have been able to make, and present it in situations that have previously not been available to me.'

Top image: Stills from THE WOOLWORTHS CHOIR OF 1979 by Elizabeth Price (c) Elizabeth Price; Bottom image: BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead, where Elizabeth's prize-winning exhibition was first put on display (c) Michael Preston