Gilbert and George psychogeography

Strange but interesting book - I found this in my old photo files. It is from the Gilbert & George exhibition at Kröller-Müller museum in 2010. Unfortunately I forgot to make a note of the name of this booklet. But another blogger has visited the exhibition and has made a note of the title: Side by Side. The book is very interesting and shows unexpected possibilities for psychogeography.

SIDE by SIDE 

Side by Side we look to you. A fine dark sky is our background. Flowers edge our way along the dusty road and thick leaved trees shade our way. Some shadows on the road. Quite a funny sky in this one with an incredible atmosphere of threatening and dread, late-evening and we must be home before we are too tired, too depressed and happy. Back to sleep, and dinner and Friends and a House.

Strange irony - This text is much more old fashioned than anything Will Self or Iain Sinclair has written. But it is ultra-modern in its self-awareness and alienation. You are never sure if this is meant to be serious or if it's an ironic comment on Victorian landscape descriptions in the style of John Ruskin.

Picture kindly provided by: 5 uur blog

MODERNITY

 Lunatic wonders in the churchyard. Sweet solace is ours for we are old-fashioned enough to see this ancient building. Old-fashioned are our clothes and eyes but our outlook is ultra-modern. And so here we must recognize sadness as the key to our past and future. Where is the balance in which to be two beings with this lovely scene of an old church in such charming trees and front and sides and surrounds.

THE ANCIENT OAK 

Here are Arts two old Men, one bending forward and one bent backwards.Our eyes glazed and shuddering in the reality of the moment. We feel overtaken by the Age around us - this timeless hill and ancient oak. What can we do but sit and stare. Our tired legs shake without rest. Our brows are contorted with imagination and rambling ideas. We are not happy as we used to be for we have seen.

Sources:

Side by Side by Gilbert & George - 1972 - Only 600 were printed. Most are in museum collections. One was sold at Christies for $1300. Not something that you buy very easily.

There is not much material about this book online. I could find one extra page in the "5 uur" blog: 5uur.wordpress.com - many thanks that I could use it.