‘Our George Crompton, WORLDS and WINDOWS by Gilbert & George’ at The Gilbert & George Centre

The Gilbert & George Centre presents ‘Our George Crompton, WORLDS and WINDOWS by Gilbert & George’, opening this spring.

Bringing together works that have not previously been presented together, the exhibition centres on CROMPTON STREET (2020) and NUMBER TWELVE (2020), presented as a memorial to George Crompton, a friend of the artists for more than 30 years. The works are unique to the artists’ practice, and as Gilbert & George have stated, ‘we never had friends in our pictures normally’.

Seen together, the works bear witness to a long-standing friendship and act as a tribute to a figure the artists described as one of their most discerning critics. A daily presence in the studio, Crompton’s life and perspective formed part of the artists’ world. Living in a care home supported by the homelessness charity St Mungo’s, he remained closely connected to Gilbert & George’s practice.

The exhibition also features the Postcard Art group ‘WORLDS AND WINDOWS’ (1989), which haven’t exhibited since 1990, and ‘THE URETHRA POSTCARD ART’ (2009), comprising 564 works, the largest group made by Gilbert & George and originally exhibited internationally in 2011.