Gilbert & George

Bernier/Eliades Gallery, Athens
Arario Gallery, Korea
Acquired directly from the above by the present owner

Beijing, National Art Gallery; Shangai, The Art Museum, The Cosmological Pictures, 1993
Korea, Arario Gallery, British Contemporary, 2003-2004

Rudi Fuchs, Gilbert & George: The Complete Pictures 1971-2005, London 2007, Vol. II, p. 644 & p. 783, illustrated in colour

Colours: The colours in the catalogue illustration are fairly accurate, although the overall tonality is much brighter and more vibrant in the original with the red at the centre tending more towards orange, the blue to electric blue and the green to apple green in the original. Condition: This work is in very good condition. There is a small repaired tear to the upper section of the right hand edge of the print, second from the right in the middle row. There are small patches of faint cotton like mould growth in several frames which are unobtrusive and only visible upon close inspection. For a professional treatment proposal, please refer to the department.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
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Following their meeting at St. Martin's School of Art in 1969, Gilbert & George began to work together as one artist on a body of work that has spanned their artistic careers to this day. They have conceived of an art intimately connected to their personal lives which simultaneously addresses issues of universal significance. As George noted, "We so often say that within the person, when we are working, we have our brain, our soul and our sex. These are the three things we work with ... It's always with a combination of those three that we work. The whole of civilization continues because of those driving work forces." (George quoted in Carter Ratcliff, Gilbert & George: The Complete Pictures, 1971-1985, New York, 1986, p. XXV)

The title of the present work, Sea View, can be read as a visual pun. The artists' eyes, highlighted by bright-yellow scleras, dominate the upper half of the work while the young men in the lower section seduce, challenge and accuse us with their intent stares. The ostensible subject of the work is, quite literally, in the background. As one confronts the viewer's gaze and the other raises his eyes as though deep in thought, the artists take the place of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, surveying their creation. Religious imagery and convention abound in Gilbert & George's oeuvre. In Sea View, the 18 cibachrome prints are like panes in a sort of secular stained-glass window, composed of luminous primary colours so vibrant that they appear to glow. Each of the six young men who inhabit this world is surrounded by what appears to be a full-body halo. Or are they simply illuminated by the setting sun reflected by the murky water behind them? They stand side-by-side, transfixed, as though on a stage or at a photo-shoot for a fashion magazine, their matching clothes emphasising the symmetry of the overall composition.