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Section 4 - Living Sculptures

(1) Quotes from Transcript of film I shot at the Observer Gilbert & George readers’ evening on Monday July 15th 2002 @ The Dirty Words exhibition @ The Serpentine Gallery, Kensington Gardens, London, W2.
Interestingly, when I requested to film, the gallery staff where concerned that I wanted to record the actual pieces of work on the walls (which was forbidden) rather than filming the 'live' artists. When I explained that as a performer, it was the actual artists' presence I was interested in rather than the pictures - I could film. Gilbert and George are still worth more screwed to the wall than in the flesh.
The exhibition was sponsored by FCUK - brilliant (French) connection - and below is the T-shirt I brought Nenagh - Lick


This is a rare exception of a female in a Gilbert and George.

(2) The Scent of Dried Roses byTim Lott – winner of the 1996 J.R. Ackerley prize for Autobiography ISBN 0 1402.5084 0 1st published 1996.
Art changes society? I don’t know but below is a quote about the 70s as perceived by Tim Lott’s family from his book ‘The Scent of Dried Roses‘ ‘prescribed’ for me by my doctor (national health service not private). It puts into words (not dirty) that specific era of change.

From Gilbert and George - A Portrait by Daniel Farson, published by Harper Collins, 1999 ISBN 0 00 255857 2 - the following quotes show that the couple are a mirror reflecting back people's own projection. Ultimately you see what you want in Gilbert and George - fascist, queer, sexless, heterosexual...

George's marriage lasted long enough to produce two children, with the boy now in his early twenties, which suggests that he was still involved with his wife for at least three years after meeting Gilbert...The marriage seems to have taken place in 1966...

We did become a symbol to mixed couples, who admired the idea of two people and would like the same equality that we have, and would like that in their relationship.

I asked Barry Flanagan if the other students and teachers at St Martin's thought that G&G were having an affair: 'I never thought that. I could'nt speak for the others.' You don't think it was a love affair? 'No. A partnership. I wouldn't be surprised if they'd never had sex.'

(3) Quote from the above Daniel Farson biography.

(4) This is a description of Gilbert and George's The Red Sculpture - their heads and hands are painted matt red - they were then photographed in Brick Lane in 1997.


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