Gilbert & George

Art for all is the belief that underpins Gilbert & George’s art.

Gilbert was born in the Dolomites, Italy in 1943 and George was born in Devon, UK in 1942. Gilbert & George live and work in London. Gilbert & George began creating art together in 1967 when they met at St Martins School of Art, and from the beginning, in their films and ‘LIVING SCULPTURE’ they appeared as figures in their own art. The artists believe that everything is potential subject matter for their art, and they have always addressed social issues, taboos and artistic conventions. Implicit in their art is the idea that an artist’s sacrifice and personal investment is a necessary condition of art. They have depicted themselves as naked figures in their own pictures, recasting the male nude as something vulnerable and fragile rather than as a potent figure of strength. The backdrop and inspiration for much of their art is the East End of London where Gilbert & George have lived and created art for nearly 50 years. From street signs to Ginkgo trees, from chewing gum stains on the pavements to vistas of urban grandeur and decay, their work is both an ongoing portrait of a city and a reflection on the human condition. Gilbert & George have confronted many of the fundamental issues of existence: sex, religion, corruption, violence, hope, fear, racial tension, patriotism, addiction and death.

Our subject matter is the world. It is pain. Pain. Just to hear the world turning is pain, isn’t it? Totally, every day, every second. Our inspiration is all those people alive today on the planet, the desert, the jungle, the cities. We are interested in the human person, the complexity of life. – Gilbert & George

Solo exhibitions include Kunsthalle Zurich, Switzerland (2020); Moderna Museet, Stockholm (2019); Astrup Fearnley Museum, Oslo (2019); LUMA, France (2018); Helsinki Art Museum, Finland (2018); Museum of Old and New Art, Hobart, Australia (2015); The Museum of Modern Art, New York (2015); Centro de Arte Contemporáneo Málaga, Spain (2010); Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb (2010); Philadelphia Museum of Art, Pennsylvania (2008); Tate Modern, London (2007-2008); Haus der Kunst, Munich (2007-2008); Castello di Rivoli, Turin (2007-2008); De Young Museum, San Francisco, California (2007-2008); Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York (2007-2008); Milwaukee Art Museum, Wisconsin (2007–2008); Serpentine Gallery, London (2002); Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam (1996); Milwaukee Art Museum, Wisconsin (1985); The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York (1985); Whitechapel Gallery, London (1971); Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam (1971) and Kunstverein Düsseldorf, Germany (1971).