Quick on the draw

The Pizza Express Prospects Drawing Prize commendably rewards an area of artistic activity that has traditionally been neglected.

But while many of the entrants stick to what is recognisably 'drawing', video, sculpture and collage also make an appearance - boldly proposing that almost anything that has a sharply defined linearity can fit the bill.

There are some notable entries: Abigail Reynolds strikes a chord with Mount Fear, a clever 3-D cardboard construction of a map of inner city South London which resembles a mountain range - the highest peaks have the highest rate of violent crime.

And Tom Phillips shows just what a master of the fine line he is with delicate doodles rendered on the minutes of a Royal Academy board meeting - yes, we can all unleash our most fluid moments of creativity at the most deadening office meeting.

That said, the judges' overall verdict is disappointing. James Pyman is this year's £10,000 winner with a stolidly rendered pencil drawing of a young girl drawing her own portrait.

However, Temsuyanger Longkumer's DVD floor projection of silhouetted Japanese warriors moving balletically against a blue ground certainly deserves the student award.

The prize perhaps casts its net a little too widely: the shortlist numbers almost 50 and you feel the definition of what constitutes drawing reaches breaking point. Nonetheless, it highlights some of the exciting work currently on offer in the more graphic areas of artistic practice.