Discussion on Gilbert and George

Week three-
We started the session by discussing and thinking about the work of Gilbert and George. This was very fascinating to me because I had never seen their work before or even familiar with them.

They create all of their work within walking distance of their own home in the east-end of London.
Their work is enormously diverse because of how they present the final work in this grid-style, and highlighting significant aspects of the very large images. There are other photographers who work in a grid style such as Hilla and Bernd Becher- they create works which have types of industrial structures with complex shapes.
http://www.tate.org.uk/research/tateresearch/tatepapers/04spring/stimson_paper.htm

My personal opinion on Gilbert and George is incredibly mixed- I don’t particularly like their use of bold, block colour and the cartoon-like image, yet I quite the fact that their deep issues are well hidden underneath it all. I also prefer the artists compared to their work, I find them a lot more interesting because they don’t give much away about their influences, and why they create the work they do.

(Left- red morning trouble 1977, right- bombers 2006)

 

More info on Gilbert and George:

http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/exhibitions/gilbertandgeorge/ 

I also found a book by Robin Dutt titled 'Gilbert and George (Obsessions and Compulsions). The introduction of this book says a few opinionated words on the pair that I agree with (especially the part where he says that their lives are an extension of their work!)