Pierre et Gilles
by Mikael Boe Larsen

Pierre et Gilles are a couple of French artists, who have lived and worked together for more than 25 years. Most people have seen their art, and once you have learned which type of art Pierre et Gilles produce, you will easily be able to recognize their work.

Pierre is a photographer and Gilles is a painter. When they met they quickly realized that their respective art forms could be combined to create a whole new expression. They, themselves, explained it like this in an interview from 1996:

"We met at a party in Paris. Pierre was a photographer and Gilles was a painter. We fell in love and became inseparable. We brought something out in each other. We were different yet complemented each other well. We got along so well, our work eventually overlapped and merged. It simply felt better that way. Everything was more natural, we had so much more fun, and we discovered so many new things. We could no longer work separately. Our work and our lives had become one."

The self portrait above, named "Le Totem", was created in 1983 and is a typical example of their efficient blending of painting and photography. The art often moves between kitsch and divine. Maybe it is that divinity which has made different superstars and other celebrities want to model for Pierre et Gilles; from Michael Jackson to Jean-Paul Gaultier.

Perhaps you are already familiar with a piece of their work. Jean-Paul Gaultier has used Pierre et Gilles' art to promote his fragrance "La Male". You'd have to be almost blind not to notice the homosexual subtleties in the commercial. Sailors have always been viewed as a form of gay icon, and the two handsome young sailors who, despite their masculine, muscular bodies, have some feminine streak in them. It is difficult to determine whether the two men are struggling or if they are attracted by each other.

Portraits

A large portion of the portraits created by Pierre et Gilles are very "dreamy". Enhancing that effect, frames of flowers, branches and trees are common. The background is often a star-filled night sky, floating clouds or a forest floor. The two examples on the right and left are both portraits of couples - the left one entitled Le Boules De Noël, from 1986, and the models are named Serge and Jean-Chris, while the right one is entitled Gai Paris, from 1988, and those models are named Jean-Paul and Andréas.

Myth, old folk tales and religion has brought great inspiration to Pierre et Gilles. A couple of examples can be seen beneath. The first one is entitled Saint Sébastian and is from 1987, the second is called Neptune and is from 1988, the third is called Adonis and is from 1992, the fourth one is Aladin and is from 1993, while the final one is called Sébastian de la mer, from 1994. The real names of both Neptun and Aladin is Karim. Karim is, like Enzo (Adonis), among the most used models. The art piece on the far left is an example of how they got some inspiration from religion. The piece is entitled La Tentation d'Adam, from 1996, and the model is Johan, who is a well known gay porn model. He too is an often used model by Pierre et Gilles.



I have to admit that all my examples portray males. However, many of Pierre et Gilles' portraits portray women. The examples shown are far from representative for Pierre et Gilles' artistic spectrum.

Eroticism in their art

Pierre et Gilles have never been opposed to making very erotic or even pornographic portraits as well. The first example, on the right, is called Midnight Cowboy, from 1995. The contrast between the stuffed animals and the porn model with a sizeable erect penis is not only surprising but also very effective. The example on the left also has a powerful contrast. The piece is called Glory Hole, which refers to the old (but still practised) phenomenon of the same name. Back when gay sex primarily took place in public toilets, a hole was often drilled between stalls (cubicles). A penis would be inserted into the hole allowing the person in the next stall to perform oral sex without actually being in the same stall. The contrast in this piece is both in the dreamy look of the model, while semen is running down his cheeks, but also in the title, where the word Glory, which has religious connotations, brings forward a whole new dimension.

A long list of Pierre et Gilles' works portray beautiful young men. I will conclude with three examples of portraits. You can have your own opinion on their, at times, dreamy style - but it is uniquely their own. You can see their complete works from 1976 to 1996 in the book "Pierre et Gilles, the Complete Works, 1976-1996" published on Taschen.