small Gold Medal
Elizabeth Price (2001)
small Gold Medal observes the will of ledger clerk Alexander Henry Chalmers, who in 1927 bequeathed a collection of art to the London Borough of Hackney with a series of ten detailed clauses. One of these required the production of a book: ‘Four Guineas to obtain a small Gold Medal and One Guinea in cash for the boy (not being over sixteen years of age and still at school) who shall write the most intelligent and appreciative essay on the Art Collection…’
With this book, Elizabeth Price undertakes to fulfill this clause for one last time − though not faithfully. Six artists collaborate with Price in this task to proxy for the schoolboys by each contributing an ‘essay’ in response to the will. small Gold Medal includes work by Dave Beech, Nathan Coley, Richard Hogg, Fergal Stapleton, Simon Starling and Matthew Thompson.
