Watching the view

Fine judgement was required to decide when to go for a walk and avoid the forecast heavy rain. For once, my decision proved correct.

Many artists in the last few decades have moved way beyond traditional techniques and mediums, using new technology and  the broad cultural landscape. Some of these have become famous for the distinctiveness of their methods as much as for the content of their work. 

Gilbert and George are an example of this, two men (one English, one Italian, who dress alike, live together and present their lives as their art, often in performance. Red Morning Trouble (1977) is a relatively straightforward work, assembled from 25 similar photographs in a striking pattern. Their most well-known work of performance art is the Singing Sculpture (1970) in which, covered in metallic paint, they moved slowly and robotically to the song "Underneath the Arches" by music hall performers Flanagan and Allen.

I see their work as a form of satire on narcissism, anticipating the current obsession with “selfies.”