For the last several years, a casual observer could have been forgiven for thinking that the overarching mission of Britain’s Turner Prize was to antagonize art lovers and the general public as much as humanly possible, while simultaneously propping up the careers of artists who fit nicely into the “shock and awe” category. But this year’s Turner shortlist appears to be going in quite a different direction, and includes a painter specializing in traditional still life and landscape work. The shortlist ought to go a long way towards placating the prize’s harshest critics, who have accused Turner organizers of ignoring many serious young artists in favor of conceptually-based flavors of the month.