Huge tableaux of manipulated photos envelop the visitor of the current
Gilbert and George exhibition in Hamburg: Jack Freak Pictures, which were created in 2008, on the basis of literally tens of thousand photos. Some work titles titilate with puns: 'Metal Jack' for example - Full Metal Jacket, what remains of the Empire and Military in today's Britain, the British Jack on a biscuit tin ..., some titles make you wonder: Frigidarium, the frigid in the English temperament?
Gilbert (the French one of the artist pair) and George are present in each one of their works. They are keen for their viewers to make up their own minds, to have direct relations with their works - and them? - so to speak. That is why they enjoyed seeing Bejing visitors (of another of their exhibitions) touch their pictures and eagerly discuss in front of them: "Picture-to-person honest", as opposed to the highly developed Western industry of art interpretation, appreciation, collection and of course, sales. I rather enjoyed that phrase and wanted to share it with you!
