ONE of the nominees for one of the art world's most prestigious awards is a man from Horrabridge.

Giles Smith is a member of an 18-strong group called Assemble — a collective based in London — who work across the fields of art, architecture and design.

The talented group has this week been put forward by Tate Britain as one the four artists to be shortlisted for the Turner Prize 2015. Assemble are up against artists Bonnie Camplin, Janice Kerbel and Nicole Wermers.

In the past the controversial prize has been won by such luminaries as Damian Hirst for 'a shark in formaldehyde' and by Tracey Emin for a dishevelled bed.

Unfortunately, one of the conditions imposed by organisers of the Turner Prize is that it does not allow artists nominated to comment until nearer the opening of the official exhibition, so the Times was this week unable to talk to Giles.

Assemble has been nominated for its community regeneration work with the residents of Granby Four Streets in Toxteth, Liverpool.

Built around 1900 to house artisan workers, the buildings fell into neglect decades ago. The Toxteth riots of 1981 were to blame to a certain extent, but decades of 'managed decline' had a far greater impact. The council gradually moved hundreds of families out of the area and earmarked their old homes for demolition.

Yet some refused to leave, instead planting, painting and scrubbing the streets. A Community Land Trust (CLT) was formed which recently teamed up with Steinbeck Studios and Assemble to create a sustainable development for the area, building on the seeds planted by residents already there.

Assemble began working together in 2010.

Tate spokesperson Sarah Chan said: 'Their projects often deploy unconventional means, are self-initiated, self-made or self-organised, subverting typical hierarchies and procedures surrounding the realisation of architectural spaces.

'Their refreshing and playful approach provides a stark contrast to the homogenous urban landscape which unfolds under processes such as design-and-build and post-recession strategies of regeneration and gentrification.'

Some of Assemble's previous works include The Cineroleum — a self-initiated project that transformed a derelict petrol station on Clerkenwell Road, London, into a hand-built cinema.

It aimed to demonstrate the wider potential for re-using the 4,000 empty petrol stations in the UK as new spaces for public use.

They also converted the disused underneath of a motorway flyover in Hackney Wick to become a temporary public space for the area.

The Turner Prize award is £40,000 with £25,000 going to the winner and £5,000 each for the other shortlisted artists.

The prize, established in 1984, is awarded to a British artist under 50 for an outstanding exhibition or other presentation of work in the 12 months preceding 17 April 2015.

It is intended to promote public discussion of new developments in contemporary British art and is widely recognised as one of the most important and prestigious awards for the visual arts in Europe.

This year the exhibition will be held at Tramway, Glasgow and the winner will announced at an award ceremony on December 7.