It is widely speculated that Gilbert and George are lovers, though neither have confirmed or denied the rumours. Nevertheless, their private life isn't half as interesting as their artwork, which they began creating together after they met on a sculpture course at the prestigious St Martins School of Art in London. Believing that 'art is for all', a philosophy that underpins the duo's extensive portfolio, George and Gilbert began their colourful career as performance artists by covering themselves in gold paint, standing on a table and miming to a Flanagan and Allen song. Odd, perhaps, but the nature of the pair's work soon attracted the curiosity of art buffs around the world, cemented further by their insistence that everything they do is art and that they are, in fact, 'living sculptures'. Since their early work, however, Gilbert and George have become more renowned for their trademark photo-montages, many of which feature the artists themselves. Characterised by grids of broken-up images that resemble stained-glass windows, the photo-montages address social issues such as religion, question artistic conventions and confront taboos. The pair went all-out for their 2007 exhibition at the Tate Modern, with some of the 200 works on display featuring scenes of a graphic sexual nature and featuring imagery such as bondage and bodily fluids. As you can imagine, snooty art-lovers with horn-rimmed glasses perched on the end of their noses were less than impressed! While there are those who think that the gruesome twosome sometimes go too far in the name of art, it's undeniable that Gilbert and George's eclectic career has earned them the reputation as one of the art world's most influential power couples. Even if they aren't a couple. Or perhaps they are? Whatever the nature of their relationship, it's not hard to see that they get each others' creative juices well and truly flowing.
www.whitecube.com/artists/gilbertandgeorge/ / Images: Gilbert & George