Gilbert & George: New Normal Pictures

Colourful exhibition at White Cube Masons’ Yard of new work by Gilbert and George.

This was my first post-lockdown trip into a gallery so frankly anything real would have looked good but this was a fun way to start and definitely work that needs to be seen in the flesh to get the full impact.

In each picture Gilbert & George insert themselves, dressed in bright suits, into urban landscapes among the detritus of the street sometimes enhanced with overlayed images. They seem to strike more playful poses than usual and, matched with their brightly coloured suits, it makes the streets look even more disturbing with the discarded drug packets, abandoned mattresses and graffiti.

I loved the wit of the titles, picking up aspects of the image including “Respect Road” which included a Considerate Construction sign and “Cashmere” which picked up on the brand name of the discarded pink mattress included in it but enhanced with images of boxes of guns which led you to think of conflicts in Kashmir.

The pictures fit the space so beautifully that I did wonder if they were designed for it, using the same standard measurements and the two rooms.

Closes 8 May 2021

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