As “living sculptures,” Gilbert & George have become an icon in the art world: initially despised by art critics for being too vulgar, too loud, and too flat, but soon becoming immensely popular and globally respected. They were the first in the 1960s to boldly and shamelessly place themselves at the center of their work. Always immaculately dressed in tweed suits, flawlessly elegant and politely friendly. In physical symbiosis, they move synchronously, composed and almost mechanically through their lives and work. In their shared universe, they seamlessly finish each other’s thoughts and sentences: “It’s very simple. We are two people, but one artist. That’s the secret.”
The artists met as students in 1967 in London and have worked and lived together as Gilbert & George since ’68. Their early work mainly consisted of performances, in which they portrayed living statues. Soon their oeuvre also included video, drawings, and especially photography. In the 1970s, their work evolved from assemblages with black and white photography to grid-like combinations of photos. The bright colors they added in the 1980s emphasized the smooth, caricatural nature of their montages. The works from this period depict life in the modern metropolis and the hopes and fears dominating the zeitgeist. In 1989, they created 25 large works on illness and destruction for a charity organization for AIDS patients. In “New Democratic Pictures” (1991), full of homo-erotic and Christian references, the artists appear completely nude for the first time.
Gilbert & George have rebelled against the elitism of art throughout their entire careers. They live in a working-class neighborhood in London and label their oeuvre as “Art for All.” Their goal is to reach the widest possible audience. “We simply cannot understand why an artist should intentionally be unclear, or do something that 99% of the population cannot comprehend. We aim to bring meaning and substance into art.” Their consciously cultivated disdain for the art world and their high productivity – up to 153 works in one year – perhaps explain why art critics initially loathed them. However, the absurd, ironic, and caricatural elements in their work are not merely mischievous parodies. Beneath the surface of the bold colors, silly faces, and intentionally unesthetic compositions lies an incredibly resistant criticism of reality.
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