The Art of Gilbert and George
If you don’t know the art of Gilbert and George or you are shocked by profane language, male genitalia and scatological references, then you may be offended by this blog post.
On the other hand, if you are not bothered by ‘inappropriate’ subjects, then please read on.
Gilbert and George have been shocking, amusing and delighting the art world for fifty years. After meeting at St Martin’s School of Art in London in 1967 Gilbert Proesch and George Passmore began creating art together. Their work, which is a significant chapter of postwar British conceptual art, is colourful, bright, political, shocking, filthy and funny.
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- Art for All – Gilbert and George Exhibition at the Moderna Museet in Stockholm
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- Art for All – Gilbert and George Exhibition at the Moderna Museet in Stockholm
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- Art for All – Gilbert and George Exhibition at the Moderna Museet in Stockholm
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- Art for All – Gilbert and George Exhibition at the Moderna Museet in Stockholm
Gilbert and George Retrospective at Stockholm’s Moderna Museet
Well-known pieces of art by the famous double act were recently displayed at Stockholm’s Moderna Museet as part of a Gilbert and George retrospective exhibition.
I visited the show in the last few days of the exhibition.
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- Art for All – Gilbert and George Exhibition at the Moderna Museet in Stockholm
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- Art for All – Gilbert and George Exhibition at the Moderna Museet in Stockholm
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- Art for All – Gilbert and George Exhibition at the Moderna Museet in Stockholm
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- Art for All – Gilbert and George Exhibition at the Moderna Museet in Stockholm
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- Art for All – Gilbert and George Exhibition at the Moderna Museet in Stockholm
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- Art for All – Gilbert and George Exhibition at the Moderna Museet in Stockholm
Being from England, I am used to Gilbert and George exhibitions having sections which are cordoned off for ‘over 18s only’. So when I visited the exhibition with my two daughters 11 and 9, I asked if they would be allowed in. The gallery attendant looked a little shocked and then said: “Of course.” She gave the girls a fun gallery worksheet to fill in and two little kaleidoscopes.
The gallery was full of uber-cool types, art students, couples, friends, families and children. Next to huge canvases of anuses, arses and category-A swear words were people casually discussing art, children skipping around and elderly people pottering about. It seemed fitting that one of Gilbert and George’s beliefs that underpins their work is that ‘Art for All’.
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- Art for All – Gilbert and George Exhibition at the Moderna Museet in Stockholm
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- Art for All – Gilbert and George Exhibition at the Moderna Museet in Stockholm
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- Art for All – Gilbert and George Exhibition at the Moderna Museet in Stockholm
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- Art for All – Gilbert and George Exhibition at the Moderna Museet in Stockholm
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- Art for All – Gilbert and George Exhibition at the Moderna Museet in Stockholm
The liberally minded Swedish
It was at that moment I realised another another reason why I love living in Sweden – Swedish people are also very liberal.
Art for All – Gilbert and George Exhibition at the Moderna Museet in Stockholm
On this, I’m with Gilbert, George and the Swedes – Art should indeed be for all.
Words of wisdom from Gilbert and George