A ROGUE group of art rebels joined together on Monday to rally against the Turner Prize outside the Tate Britain art gallery.

Members of the maverick art movement, The Stuckists, demonstrated in central London over the “mind-numbingly tedious, pretentious and vacuous” pieces that are in the running for this year's controversial prize.

Co-founder of the group, Charles Thomson, of Manor Cottages Approach, East Finchley, was joined by a handful of others in dressing as clowns to hand out leaflets condemning the entries and the judging process.

Much of the anger was aimed at Sir Nicholas Serota, director of the Tate and former chairman of the Turner Prize jury, who was presented with a flyer branding the slogan “Turner Prize Hell”.

The group also handed out badges and leaflets showing an image of a model in a leather miniskirt, holding a placard with the words “Serota needs a good spanking”.

Mr Thomson said: “Turner Prize Hell continues with an excruciatingly painful presentation of mind-numbingly tedious, pretentious and vacuous exhibits.

“It’s like watching a TV comedy show parody of contemporary art with a slogan 'Gimmicks R Us'. It’s difficult to know how anyone can take this classic Serota nonsense seriously.

“The obvious response is that of a lady last year, who asked for her money back, as she’d paid to see art and there wasn’t any.

“The demonstration outside is far more entertaining, artistic and informative.”

This year's entries include a collection of broken and mangled canvasses, a bank of televisions showing a series on the legacy of ancient Greece, and a recording of folk music designed to fill an empty room.

Mr Thomson, who founded The Stuckists in 1999 to oppose conceptual art, has protested against the Turner Prize since 2000.

He said: “They wouldn't go giving a music award to a painter or sculpture who claims their work is the new music.

“It is considered radical and ground breaking, but in fact it's tired and rather lame.

“We are speaking out where other artists may be too worried about becoming marginalised within the artists community. But we get a good reaction from the public.

“In ten years our campaign doesn't seem to have ended the Turner Prize but it has been successful in highlighting there is a strong opposition to it.”