The Meaning of the Earth

The Meaning of the Earth offers a retrospective on the work and lives of the relentlessly controversial artists Gilbert & George, connecting their beginnings as Living Sculptures to their pictorial work of today.

As Living Sculptures, Gilbert & George offered two pieces of advice to their live audiences every morning: ‘Sit on the edge of your bed and think, “What do I want to say to the world today?”’ and ‘Fuck the teachers!’

The Meaning of the Earth offers a retrospective on the lives and work of the relentlessly controversial artists, placing them within the context of twentieth century British culture. Wolf Jahn tells the story of how Gilbert & George found their identity in opposition to pervasive ideas around social conformity and religion after meeting in 1967.

The artists staged an internal revolution, mining their psyches to create visionary and unwaveringly modern art. The ‘two people but one artist’ ask the questions that gnaw at us all: ‘Where do we come from?’, ‘Who are we?’ and ‘Where are we going?’ The book meditates on the artists’ role in this century, connecting their beginnings as Living Sculptures to their pictorial work of today.

The Meaning of the Earth is a continuation of Jahn’s 1989 work, The Art of Gilbert & George. The author writes a playful philosophical interrogation of Gilbert & George’s work that truly grasps its cosmic scale.