A SELF-TAUGHT artist has been named as the people’s choice for the John Moores Contemporary Painting Prize.

Julian Brain’s work, Special Relativity, was chosen by the public to receive the Visitors’ Choice award, with the £2,008 prize money sponsored by Rathbone Investment Management to celebrate Capital of Culture year.

The painting has been on display at Liverpool’s Walker gallery since September as part of the annual John Moores exhibition.

Visitors could vote for any one of the 40 shortlisted works chosen by a panel of judges consisting of artists Jake and Dinos Chapman, art critic Sacha Craddock and painters Graham Crowley and Paul Morrison.

Brain was also chosen by jurors as one of four runners-up in the main JM25 competition.

Lisa Bradshaw, John Moores exhibition officer, said: “The public have been voting since the exhibition opened in September, and it’s been fantastic to see they’ve chosen an artist who has risen to the challenge despite his lack of professional training.

“The themes and concepts Julian has used in this painting are something the JM25 judges picked up on, and having been chosen for a second time is testament to the fact his work has captured visitors’ imaginations and is something they feel they can relate to.”

Peter McDonald’s Fontana won the £25,000 first prize.

The exhibition runs until January 4.