Gilbert & George take their place in this disquieting vision of a heavenly place in a manner resembling psychical reports or transmissions from a journey deep into an enchanted forest or overgrown park.
This particular paradise – paradise being the common goal of spiritual and secular life on Earth – inhabited or traversed by Gilbert & George, is a place where the very air is drugged. From picture to picture the artists are subject to biomorphic alteration into vegetable states – a turn of events that would be cartoon-like and absurd were it not so equally sinister.
The dead yet watchful eyes of Gilbert & George stare sleeplessly from grotesque detritus of fruits and flowers; from masks of dead leaves – details of spirit faces, as the artists themselves are seen first pursued by unseen wonders or horrors, then finally exhausted, worn out, in a sleep that seems to promise no rest.
The longer you look at these Paradisical Pictures, the more they suggest a chapter in a story that has been unfolding before them and will continue beyond them. This ‘paradise’ is not a destination but a stage on a longer journey. It is a dream of paradise – the exploration of an archetype; to be granted bliss, eternal rest, true life, revelation, the answer to life’s mysteries.
The Gilbert & George Centre was originally established as a registered charity by the artists in 2009 with the objective to advance the education of the public in the arts, and generally to advance the arts, architecture, heritage, and culture for the benefit of the public especially but not exclusively by the preservation, after the deaths of George & Gilbert, of the properties in Fournier Street occupied by them and the collections, archives and works of art created by them.
The building’s conversion has been designed by SIRS Architects, in close collaboration with Gilbert & George, to house three state of the art exhibition gallery spaces, each differing in scale and feel. The artists’ vision of both architectural spaces and art display was embedded into the projects design, by restoring the building’s original appearance while creating a sustainable project with contemporary exhibition spaces suitable for their art at the same time.
The Gilbert & George Centre, 5a Heneage St, London E1 5LJ from April 1st
Comments