YOU LOATHE THEM OR YOU DONT
Pierre and Gilles, are French artists and partners. (Sorry Pierrette, I thought they were English!) They produce highly stylized unique hand-painted photographs, building their own sets and costumes as well as retouching the photographs with acrylic paint. Their work often features images from art history, popular culture, religion and gay culture including pornography. So it’s not surprising that most people are not followers of their work. I have been for a number of years. Certainly not the pornographic. That has always revolted me but most of their « satyrical » and send-ups.
They have sometimes attracted controversy. For example, in 2012 there was a public outcry in Austria when their work entitled « Vive la France » was displayed on large street posters to advertise the Nackte Männer (Naked Men) exhibition created by Ilse Haider at the Leopold Museum in Vienna. It depicts three naked French footballers with their genitals fully revealed: the first black, the second Arab/Muslim and the third white, to represent the multi-ethnic composition of modern French society. The ensuing controversy led to an act of self-censorship by the artists, who decided that the largest street posters should be changed, and instead use coloured ribbons to hide the players' genitals. From my point of view the creation became quite indecent. I saw it in both the original and the changed forms.
Now they were the guests of the Gobelins Tapestries. It is best known as a royal factory supplying the court of Louis XIV and later monarchs; now run by the French Ministry of Culture and exhibits temporary modern exhibitions along side the permanent collection.
Pierre and Gilles had carte blanche to create whatever they wanted to in this very beautiful palace. It’s an installation over a Louis XVI fire place. This gave them the opportunity of a dialogue with XVIII decoration. The photo montage is of Zahia Dehar (French Algerian) who was involved in a sex scandal some years back. In 2010 while at the height of national attention, Dehar paid to appear as a fashion model, and appeared on the cover of a Spanish magazine in 2011. Dehar has claimed to have had dreams to be a fashion designer since childhood. Capitalizing on her celebrity and working with German designer Karl Lagerfeld, she created a lingerie line and self-named perfume. The lingerie line premiered at the January 2012 Paris Fashion Week fashion show.Her line caters to high-end customers, with garments on sale for over €500 each. Goes to show doesn’t it how scandals can make you famous. She has now become Pierre and Gille’s « New Eve » and in this installation rather like a contemporary Marie-Antoinette.
Of course you don’t have to like it but I admire the Gobelins for daring such an exhibition.
They have sometimes attracted controversy. For example, in 2012 there was a public outcry in Austria when their work entitled « Vive la France » was displayed on large street posters to advertise the Nackte Männer (Naked Men) exhibition created by Ilse Haider at the Leopold Museum in Vienna. It depicts three naked French footballers with their genitals fully revealed: the first black, the second Arab/Muslim and the third white, to represent the multi-ethnic composition of modern French society. The ensuing controversy led to an act of self-censorship by the artists, who decided that the largest street posters should be changed, and instead use coloured ribbons to hide the players' genitals. From my point of view the creation became quite indecent. I saw it in both the original and the changed forms.
Now they were the guests of the Gobelins Tapestries. It is best known as a royal factory supplying the court of Louis XIV and later monarchs; now run by the French Ministry of Culture and exhibits temporary modern exhibitions along side the permanent collection.
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| The Gobelins |
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| Part of a Wall covering 1743 |
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| Part pf a Wall covering 1743 |
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| 1740 - model for tapestry. Chinese flowers |
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| Tapestry models for chairs 1751 |
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| Tapestry models for chairs 1751 |
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| 1779-1786 Model for chair - tapestry |
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| 1779-1786 Model for chair - tapestry |
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| Tapestry models for chairs 1751 |
Pierre and Gilles had carte blanche to create whatever they wanted to in this very beautiful palace. It’s an installation over a Louis XVI fire place. This gave them the opportunity of a dialogue with XVIII decoration. The photo montage is of Zahia Dehar (French Algerian) who was involved in a sex scandal some years back. In 2010 while at the height of national attention, Dehar paid to appear as a fashion model, and appeared on the cover of a Spanish magazine in 2011. Dehar has claimed to have had dreams to be a fashion designer since childhood. Capitalizing on her celebrity and working with German designer Karl Lagerfeld, she created a lingerie line and self-named perfume. The lingerie line premiered at the January 2012 Paris Fashion Week fashion show.Her line caters to high-end customers, with garments on sale for over €500 each. Goes to show doesn’t it how scandals can make you famous. She has now become Pierre and Gille’s « New Eve » and in this installation rather like a contemporary Marie-Antoinette.
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| Below the mantlepiece |
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| Pierre et Gilles, Marie-Antoinette, le hameau de la Reine, Zahia Dehar, 2014 |
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| Upside down but why the mice? |
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| Trees with birds |
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| Night Sky ! |
Of course you don’t have to like it but I admire the Gobelins for daring such an exhibition.
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