Massow quits over attack on 'pretentious tat'

ICA chairman Ivan Massow has been forced to resign by its council over his criticism of conceptual art typified by Martin Creed's Turner Prize-winning lightbulb.

Around 30 protesters were at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in the Mall last night to support Mr Massow, 34, but he emerged from a 90-minute meeting defeated.

His comment in The New Statesman that much conceptual art is "pretentious, self-indulgent, craftless tat" was too much for the council - despite the ICA's avowed remit as a centre of debate about contemporary art. It met in secret last week to plan its reaction.

Mr Massow wrote that conceptual art is now an orthodoxy, and added: "It is no longer promoted through reference to any criteria of aesthetics, originality or intellectual challenge, but through spin."

As he arrived last night Mr Massow said: "I'm hoping the council will allow me to remain chairman and give me their support."

After all 12 members of the council expressed their views, Mr Massow offered his resignation, which was accepted. Appearing genuinely distressed, Mr Massow said: "I asked them to say individually whether they wanted me to resign - and essentially they all did."

Mr Massow, well known for defecting from the Conservative Party in 2000, added: "I stand by everything I have said. I feel tonight's result was sadly predictable, and I was hoping for them to be slightly more imaginative, to have grasped the debate and to have had a sense of proportion."

ICA director Philip Dodd, understood to have been particularly infuriated by Massow's article, refused to comment. But one council member, who would not be named, said: "People here felt Ivan didn't represent their views as chairman. The issue is about whether Ivan was acting in the ICA's best interests. Let's have the debate, but if you want to have it should be within the ICA."

After the meeting Mr Massow, who has received hundreds of messages supporting his stance, attended Tate Modern's Andy Warhol exhibition launch party. Perhaps fortunately, he did not encounter fellow guest Tracey Emin - the conceptual artist who, according to Mr Massow's article, "couldn't think her way out of a paper bag".

She said: "I think it's good he resigned. Obviously he wasn't in the right job and he wasn't happy doing it. He didn't think before he spoke and someone in a position like that has to think about what they are saying about art in general."