Synopsis
Gilbert Prousch met
George Passmore at St Martin's School of Art in 1967. Since then they have famously lived and worked together as Gilbert & George, creating an extraordinary body of provocative artworks. They have exhibited themselves as "Living Sculptures", documented the banality of their daily lives in London's East End, and, since the late 1970s, produced vibrant, challenging photographic collages. This video profile of Gilbert & George features a characteristically deadpan performance of themselves. Sex, money, race and religion, they explain, are four themes at the heart of their art. Their interview is complemented by images of many of their works, including the remarkable
Dirty Words Pictures made in 1977, together with important collages of the 1980s and 1990s. Asked if their work, and their personas, are ironic, Gilbert says, "We always think it's struggle enough to drag something out from inside of ourselves onto that wall without trying to be strange or odd about it. We wanted to be absolutely painful truth," George adds. "I really believe it has to be painful."
