Gilbert & George Doing It Their Way

Ten years ago Gilbert & George gave up the artisanal technique they used to make their pictures in favor of the computer. The work they have conceived on this tool has taken on a new dimension. The prolific duo have created eight new sets of pictures, including the

which represented Great Britain at the Venice Biennale in 2005, and the

created specially in 2007 as the finale for their retrospective at Tate Modern. On the occasion of their exhibition at the Thaddaeus Ropac gallery, they go back over this recent creative period and, for the first time, analyze the impact of this technology. For these artists who, from their debut, defined themselves as Living Sculptures, art and life are one. Over the last forty-five years their pictures have been drawn exclusively from their multicultural neighborhood in London’s East End, between the City and the Muslim quarter of Whitechapel. Deeply concerned by the rise of Islamism and by the revival of religion more generally, Gilbert & George offer their unique perspective on the crucial questions of our time. Ten years ago, too, François Jonquet embarked on a long conversation with the artists, which he resumes here.(1)