The Facts
The Atkinson in Southport, England, presents a major exhibition of work by Gilbert & George, organised in collaboration with ARTIST ROOMS, a national collection jointly owned by Tate and the National Galleries of Scotland. This is the first time in over 30 years that an exhibition of the artists’ work has been shown in the North West of England. The show spans decades of practice, from the rarely seen charcoal-on-paper sculpture *The Nature of Our Looking* (1970) and early video works including *Gordon’s Makes Us Drunk* (1972) and *In the Bush* (1972), to larger multi-part, brightly coloured works such as *EXISTERS* (1984) and *FAITH DROP* (1991). A 1969 ‘magazine sculpture’ in which the artists smile out at the viewer with cut-out letters pinned to their chests exemplifies their early emphasis on self-image and their guiding principle of ‘art for all’.
The Signal
For nearly 60 years, Gilbert (b. 1943) and George (b. 1942) have made large-scale, often vividly coloured works combining photography, text and found objects, building one of the most recognisable partnerships in modern art. Winners of the Turner Prize in 1986, they remain among Britain’s most influential contemporary artists, with work held in major collections worldwide. The exhibition underscores the artists’ radical expansion of sculpture from an object-based practice into one encompassing their lived experience and environs, with the artists themselves as its enduring subject. For collectors and curators, the show offers a rare opportunity to see early and pivotal works from a partnership that has consistently challenged social convention and taboo.
- Artists: Gilbert, George
- Galleries: The Atkinson, ARTIST ROOMS
- Museums: Tate, National Galleries of Scotland
- Locations: Southport
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