Over the last thirty years, the French artist duo Pierre et Gilles have created photographic portraits of numerous celebrities including Marc Almond, Mirelle Mathieu, Catherine Deneuve, Serge Gainsbourg, Iggy Pop, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Nina Hagen, Madonna, and Paloma Picasso. Pierre et Gilles work almost exclusively in an opulently furnished studio, where their subjects are costumed lavishly and placed before three-dimensional backgrounds. Where as Pierre photographs the model, Gilles retouches and hand-colours the print. The reproducible portrait is rendered unique through painting, which highlights each detail with carefully selected materials and accessories.
C/O Berlin presents an exhibition of Pierre et Gilles work . The show comprises a total of 80 unique large-format works – from their early photographs of the 1970s to the brand new pictures that were never shown in public before.
This video by Martin Grießmüller contains an exhibition walkthrough and statements by Pierre et Gilles.
The artist duo Pierre et Gilles (b. 1950 and 1953, respectively) have been living and working together since 1976. Influenced by Pop Art, Gilles first painted a photograph by Pierre in the year 1977. This form of collaboration