We asked the winner of last year's prize, Paul Rooney a few impertinent questions! Not only did he indulge us, he did so over the Christmas holidays too.
Paul how did it feel to be included in the shortlist for the Northern Art Prize in 2008?
It was very flattering of course and it was a nice surprise. I was also delighted when I heard that my nominator was Greg Hobson, who is based in Yorkshire. I seem to have a lot more connections and opportunities in Yorkshire these days than anywhere else
Had you prepared a speech in case you won?
No I really hadn’t, as I admitted when I accepted the prize, I think I was half hoping the winner would not have to do a speech! I managed to blurt something out then forgot to thank Greg my nominator and Jackie and Sean my partner and son, so was reminded of that all night!
What was the first thing you did with your winnings?
Our cooker conked out that week so we went out and bought a new one, then got a new bathroom put in (we had been living with a horrible mint green suite with varnished pine panelling for ten years dreaming of a new bathroom all that time).
What do you think of prizes to reward artists?
I think ‘rewarding’ artists is not a bad thing, but I would say that. It’s particularly good to give some recognition for artists who are doing good work but who also need some support, those who are on the margins slightly, or who don’t necessarily make saleable work or command fortunes for commission fees etc. Prizes for artists, like academic qualifications, are always difficult though, because judges have to make very arbitrary decisions to pick the so called ‘best’ work and make an award. Because of that its good to get the main satisfaction from being nominated in the first place, and not get too big-headed or depressed about whether you are the one artist they do or don’t choose to ‘win’ the prize. For people with fragile egos like artists its best not to let any of it go to your head!
What has winning the Northern Art Prize meant for you in the last year? (do you get mobbed when you leave the house?)
When I used to give my name and address during phone calls I would always get asked if I was related to Wayne Rooney, now apparently Wayne is the one who gets asked if he is related to me. (Not really).
What music is currently inspiring you?
None.
What artwork has had the biggest impact on you in the last year?
I had a trip to the Istanbul Biennial on my winnings, all of it was very inspiring basically because there was a lot of good work from artists from all over the world, not just London and Berlin. Tamas St. Auby, Chto Delat, Danica Dakic, Wendelien van Oldenborgh were some of many. I’ve recently made work about some inspiring people with Leeds connections: Jeff Nuttall, George Brecht, and Robert Filliou. Also read Nabokov’s ‘Pale Fire’, best novel I’ve encountered in years.
What's next for Paul Rooney in 2010?
Making a new work for Durham in June, showing a film at Harewood House in April (more Yorkshire connections, the piece was shot there too) and for Spacex, Exeter at the end of the year. May move house if we can sell ours!
Care to say who you think should win the 2009 prize?
No!
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