Life and Death. Sex. Money. Religion – and everything in between. These themes are the cornerstone of any great exhibition, right!? This GREAT EXHIBITION, though, is particularly poignant: with 45 works from 1971 to 2019, Schirn Frankfurt presents the duo’s largest solo exhibition in German to date.
„We try not to have ideas, preferring accidents. To create, you must empty yourself of every artistic thought.“
— Gilbert & George
Since 1967, the “Living Sculptures” that are Gilbert and George are National Treasures in Britain – and icons in the rest of the art world; no surname required. Gilbert and George become their own art and for decades and like no other, the duo epitomizes the fusion of photography, performance, conceptual, digital, and pop art. Always dressed in their „Responsibility Suit“, the duo redefines good taste, and keeps charging art with unambiguous symbolism:
Their provocative collages, however, are not the average social criticism, but large-size (self-) portraits which do not segregate between art and life. For decades now, the duo is fighting against authorities with big, bold portraits, high gloss polished and clustered in frames which inevitably reminds the viewers of church windows.
Not only naked bodies, but vibrant orifices leave no room for misinterpretation. The titles of the wall-filling artworks add to the repugnance and condemnation: “Shit Pictures”, “Shit Faith” – Shit, they really expose what they mean, but in an aesthetically pleasing manner that it is almost polite again. Polite, yet offensive – absolute equilibrium accomplished.
“A Clergyman once said to us, “Jealousy is a bad thing. But I must confess that I am sometimes jealous of the artist because the artist is closer to creation.”” – Gilbert & George
And yet, the church remains one of the duo’s most frequently portrayed enemy – along with everyone and everything battling heterosexuality and heteronormative ideals. As idols themselves, Gilbert and George remain one of the most influential and prominent visual voices in depicting homosexuality in contemporary art. The clerical triptych „Scapegoating“ (2013) includes the duo’s thoughts and requests on how to deal with ecclesiastical dignitaries.
Gilbert and George are pop culture legends with a legacy that will last: in the late 1970s their style inspired Kraftwerk musicians Florian Schneider and Ralf Hütter to enter stage in suits while their art made it into David Bowie’s 1984 album Tonight. Like no other non-gender binary couple in art, Gilbert and George, continue to bring art into everyday life.
Gilbert & George: The Great Exhibition | Kunsthalle Schirn, Frankfurt | – 5 September 2021
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