126
Gilbert & George ©
Tree Jesus, 1980
Signed and dated Gilbert and George 1980 lower right
Sixteen gelatin silver prints in artist's frames
242x202 cm (overall artwork); 58.5x49 cm (each print)
Title on the bottom right
Provenance:
Sonnabend Gallery, New York
Phillips de Pury&Co, London, Contemporary Art Auction July 2th, 2014, Lot.14
Exhibitions:
Exhibitions:
New Photo-Pieces, Sonnabend Gallery, New York, from January 1st to December 31st 1980
-
"With our art we want to bring out the intolerant that there is in the liberal and, vice versa, bring out the liberal that there is in the intolerant": this statement reveals much of the poetry of Gilbert Prousch (San Martino in Badia, 1943) and George Passmore (Plymouth, 1942) which for the past 55 years have been a stainless association of art and life. Eager to tell the human being uncensored and hypocritical, Gilbert&George have chosen the path of a language with strong communicative power. Unconventional by definition, transgressive and disruptive in trying to scandalize the right-thinking while posing as impassive englishmen, over the years have been able to experiment with new expressive formulas, including performance, drawing and photography, while remaining faithful to their own stylistic code that avoids the obvious and the politically correct. Politics, religion, death, sex, but also the violence of cities, the fragility and frustrations of the human being are at the center of their varied production, now also part of prestigious museum collections.
This work of 1980 consists of 16 silver gelatine prints inserted inside artist frames. The work demonstrates the bold commitment of Gilbert&George with delicate issues: "We are dealing with universal topics: death, hope, life, fear, sex, money, race, religion - these are things that are relevant for all" (Based on the artist’s biography published on tate.org.uk). They have repeatedly returned to the subject of crucifixion, attracted by such a powerful image of pain and vulnerability. This image is not an expression of religious faith, but rather an exploration of the shared human experience of suffering. For artists, Jesus' suffering is a metaphor for a universal truth: "Our subject is the world. It is pain. Pain. Just feeling the world spinning is pain, isn’t it? Always, every day, every second. Our inspiration is all those people who live today on the planet, in the desert, in the jungle, in the cities. We are interested in the human person, the complexity of life" (Based on the artist’s biography: published on whitecube.com). Not afraid to face such an iconic image, they impose their characteristic format of the large grid, thus breaking the image of Christ on the cross. This work shares a common theme throughout their production: a rigorous examination of the body, often using one’s own, and ego.
-
"With our art we want to bring out the intolerant that there is in the liberal and, vice versa, bring out the liberal that there is in the intolerant": this statement reveals much of the poetry of Gilbert Prousch (San Martino in Badia, 1943) and George Passmore (Plymouth, 1942) which for the past 55 years have been a stainless association of art and life. Eager to tell the human being uncensored and hypocritical, Gilbert&George have chosen the path of a language with strong communicative power. Unconventional by definition, transgressive and disruptive in trying to scandalize the right-thinking while posing as impassive englishmen, over the years have been able to experiment with new expressive formulas, including performance, drawing and photography, while remaining faithful to their own stylistic code that avoids the obvious and the politically correct. Politics, religion, death, sex, but also the violence of cities, the fragility and frustrations of the human being are at the center of their varied production, now also part of prestigious museum collections.
This work of 1980 consists of 16 silver gelatine prints inserted inside artist frames. The work demonstrates the bold commitment of Gilbert&George with delicate issues: "We are dealing with universal topics: death, hope, life, fear, sex, money, race, religion - these are things that are relevant for all" (Based on the artist’s biography published on tate.org.uk). They have repeatedly returned to the subject of crucifixion, attracted by such a powerful image of pain and vulnerability. This image is not an expression of religious faith, but rather an exploration of the shared human experience of suffering. For artists, Jesus' suffering is a metaphor for a universal truth: "Our subject is the world. It is pain. Pain. Just feeling the world spinning is pain, isn’t it? Always, every day, every second. Our inspiration is all those people who live today on the planet, in the desert, in the jungle, in the cities. We are interested in the human person, the complexity of life" (Based on the artist’s biography: published on whitecube.com). Not afraid to face such an iconic image, they impose their characteristic format of the large grid, thus breaking the image of Christ on the cross. This work shares a common theme throughout their production: a rigorous examination of the body, often using one’s own, and ego.
€ 80.000,00 / 120.000,00
Estimate