Gilbert and George met at art school in 1967 and have been inseparable ever since. They studied sculpture at Saint Martin's College, they had to start it somewhere so it started there. Over half a century they've produced a prolific range of work, much of it in the form of large vibrant panelled pictures packed with symbolic imagery and deadpan images of themselves. Their art divides audiences and if you don't like it they really don't care. And just last week they opened their own gallery in Spitalfields, not far from where they live, which probably explains whey they were sitting behind a desk just inside the entrance when I turned up.
The gallery's just off Brick Lane beside The Pride of Spitalfields pub, to which it is a much classier neighbour. It's not signposted so you need to know it's there, but there is a huge clue in the initials G & G swirling through the ironwork in the gate. A typically monarchist touch is the addition of a royal cipher in shiny gold, the jarring thing being it says CRIII (which I'm still not used to after seven decades of ERII).
Although the building's modern brick, the cobbled driveway and pristine planting make it feel a bit like you're approaching a country cottage. Entrance is via the courtyard on your right but there's also a separate 'film room', accessed from outside, where a 23 minute interview with Gilbert and George plays on endless loop. Take a seat beneath the sweary inkwashes to learn something of their general philosophy, why they love the East End and how their latest works were inspired. Their emotionless stare breaks just once, and oh my the bit at the end where they burst into song is as startling as it must have been back in 1969. I mention all this up front but it probably works better if you see the art first and come and sit out here afterwards.
There are three galleries, one per floor and each of a decent size. For the opening exhibition they all feature works from The Paradisical Pictures, a disquieting suite from 2019 featuring foliage, chains, date stones and of course the two artists themselves. They appear with demonic coloured eyes, sometimes full size and sometimes close up (and unlike Ant and Dec not always in alphabetical order). It's a one trick theme, somewhere between comic strip and cosmic collage, but the fascination of their work has always been in picking apart the complex composition. Expect a lot of greens and pinks, a wide variety of awkward poses and a set of jarring titles in the bottom right hand corner.
The crowd drawn to visit were very mixed in terms of age, from cultured couples to parents not afraid to expose their children to challenging art. They flowed from room to room relatively quickly, at all times watched over by separate teams of room attendants and security guards. A nice touch is the slot on the upper landing allowing a broad view down into the main ground floor gallery. The ambience is clean, bright and modern throughout, and the architecture just interesting enough not to distract from the art. I confess it took me a while to work out there were paintings in the basement because the sign at the top of the stairs only points towards a WC.
There is of course a shop, it's how you enter and inevitably how you exit. The goods on offer span all price ranges, from a commemorative tote bag at the lower end to a series of limited editions at the other. If you want an inkwash saying Free Dick it'll set you back £2000. The bestseller seemed to be a full colour catalogue of the current exhibition, perhaps because visitors had enjoyed it but more likely because actual Gilbert and actual George were sitting at a table in trademark tweeds waiting to sign copies. They patiently answered questions, they absorbed copious praise and they watched over the new artistic empire they have created. I can't guarantee they'll be here if you visit but as integral members of the Spitalfields community there's every chance.
Alternatively you could just sit at home and look at all these pictures and watch that video on their website, but where would be the decadence in that?
