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Lucian Freud is Britain’s top painter, while Tracy Emin is viewed as the most overrated artist in Europe according to findings released by Lexmark International, the leading printer manufacturer.

Lexmark questioned 100 leading art critics, journalists and professional figures to gauge industry opinion on today’s art scene, as the closing date approaches (31st March) for the €30,000 Lexmark European Art Prize, the only pan European painting prize, now in its second year.

Art aces
Over a third (35%) of those questioned believe that Lucian Freud is the best painter around today. Other leading British painters name checked behind Freud were Francis Bacon, Frank Albech, Peter Doig and Damian Hirst. Hirst, perhaps not surprisingly for the controversy he courts, was also runner up (20%) to Tracy Emin (50%) as the most overrated artist in Europe. Sam Taylor-Wood and Ken Howard then followed, both with 10% each of the vote.

Art for all?
When questioned about the accessibility of art in the 21st Century, the panel reached a general consensus. Nearly three quarters (73%) agreed that London was a great place to view art and over two thirds (68%) thought that the general public had never had it so good, with art increasingly becoming part and parcel of day to day life. Also, almost all who were questioned (94%) thought that British art was holding its own compared to its European counterparts.

Artistic investment
If you ever thought about investing in art, nearly half (48%) of experts urge us to buy work you actually like, as ultimately you have to live with it.

Over one fifth (22%) thought that Old Masters were no longer worth the investment while 20th Century works should enjoy our patronage instead.  More than a quarter (27%) believed a mixture of traditional and modern was the safest bet. One leading figure commented that art dealers are in effect gamblers, as essentially there is no real way of telling what will become valuable as the market is so fickle. The most useful piece of advice seemed to be to catch aspiring artists on the up.

Giovanni Giusti, General Manager of Lexmark UK says: “We are investing in the only painting prize in Europe so Lexmark needs to keep close to developing trends. It is interesting to see that the art fraternity believe art is becoming more and more accessible which is at the heart of The Lexmark European Art Prize. If you are over 18 and live in Europe – enter in your painting and you could win 30,000 euros  - a life changing prize.”

How to enter
To enter the Lexmark European Art Prize 2004, all you need to do is log on to www.print-art.com and fill in the online entry form, attaching a high resolution scan (minimum resolution of 300 dpi) of your painting. The closing date for all entries is midnight on 31st March 2004. Please read all terms and conditions on the web site before entering.

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