The Urethra Postcard Art of Gilbert & George

The godfathers of Britart create some sad poetry out of their postcard collection

by Fisun GunerFriday, 14 January 2011

'4 Views on Flag', 2009: Postcard of a London landmark arranged as angularised symbols of the urethra All pictures (c) the artist, courtesy of White Cube

Radio interviewer: “Are you Royalists?” George: “Of course! We’re not weird.” Gilbert & George may have been accused in the past of being coprophiliac pederast fascists (owing to their love of turds, anuses, young men with cropped hair and bovver boots and the Union Jack), but this art duo can certainly make you smile. In fact, Gilbert & George can often be quite irrepressibly funny – definitely "ha ha" as well as peculiar. And since they and their art seem as one, one senses they’d make excellent after dinner speakers.

Both types of card now seem dated, though one hardly need say that when it comes to both sex and the sex trade there really is nothing new under the sun

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