Two contemporary artists who work together as a duo - Gilbert and George. They have become famous for their distinctive manner.
As a duo they began in 1969 on the steps of the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam. Standing on a table, they danced and sang the Flanagan and Allen standard Underneath the Arches. Then, they were invited to perform this performance all over the world.
But their main subject, has been the spectacle of London streets. They are permanently on the look-out for double meanings, especially those with a sexual twist. Their entire body of work has been created in, and focused on, London's East End, which they see as a microcosm. Also their imagery is shocking and has included depictions of sexual acts, the subversion of religious symbolism, and bodily fluids.
Gilbert Proesch studied art at the Wolkenstein School of Art and Hallein School of Art in Austria and the Akademie der Kunst, Munich, before moving to England. George Passmore studied art at the Dartington College of Arts and the Oxford School of Art, then part of the Oxford College of Technology. They met in 1967 while studying sculpture at St Martins School of Art, London. In the interview with Daily Telegraph they said of their meeting: "it was love at first sight.". Later, they got „married“ in 2008. They rarely appear in public without wearing them. The pair regard themselves as "living sculptures" so it's unusual for one of the pair to be seen without the other. They insist that everything they do is art.
Gilbert & George made „The Singing Sculpture“, which was first performed at Nigel Greenwood Gallery in 1970. For this performance they covered their heads and hands in multi-coloured metalised powders, stood on a table, and sang along and moved to a recording of Flanagan and Allen's song, similarly to their performance in Stedelijk Museum. The suits they wore for this became a kind of uniform for them.
The pair is well-known also for their large scale photographies, called „The Pictures“. The early work in this style is in black and white, later with hand-painted red and yellow touches. They proceeded to use a range of bolder colours, sometimes backlit, and overlaid with black grids. The artists themselves frequently feature in these works, along with flowers, youths, friends, and Christian symbolism.
In 1986 Gilbert and George were criticized for a series of pictures seemingly glamourizing „rough types“ of London's East End such as skinheads. Some of their work has attracted media attention because of the inclusion of (potentially) shocking imagery. The titles of these works, such as "Naked Shit Pictures" (1994) and "Sonofagod Pictures" (2005), also contributed to the attention.
„The Complete Pictures“ - a book of their art (1971–2005), published in 2007 by Tate Modern, includes over thousand examples of their work.
In May 2007, Gilbert and George were the subject of the BBC documentary Imagine. Picture entitled „Planed“ was available as a free file download from the BBC and The Guardian websites. People who downloaded the files could print them, and thus own an original picture of Gilbert & George for free.
Gilbert & George are famous in the artistic world because of their conservative political views. George claims never to have been anti-establishment: "Left equals good. Art equals Left.“
In 2005 Gilbert & George represented the UK at the Venice Biennale. Their 2007 retrospective at Tate Modern was the largest of any artist held at the gallery. In 2008 Gilbert & George were awarded an Honorary Doctorate by London Metropolitan University.
In 2009 artists made one of their latest show for the London opening of, Jack Freak Pictures, a series of works about England and nationality. George says: "The Jack Freak series deals with all aspects of Britishness as symbolised by the British flag; it means so many different things to so many. It brings out the best – and the worst – in people."
source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilbert_and_George
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/art-news/5743120/Gilbert-and-George-Margaret-Thatcher-did-a-lot-for-art.html
http://www.guggenheimcollection.org/site/artist_bio_52.html
http://www.culturekiosque.com/art/exhibiti/gilbert_and_george.htm
http://www.all-art.org/art_20th_century/gilbert_george1.html
"They are permanently on the look-out for double meanings, especially those with a sexual twist. Their entire body of work has been created in, and focused on, London's East End, which they see as a microcosm. Also their imagery is shocking..."