Gilbert & George: The General Jungle or Carrying on Sculpting, Late Summer 1971

Since 1967, renowned artists Gilbert & George (born 1943 and 1942) have made themselves into their art, sacrificing their individual identities to devote themselves to a more democratic art practice, which they call “Art for All.” This catalog presents their formative early work, The General Jungle or Carrying on Sculpting (1971). Comprised of 23 monumental, multi-panel charcoal-on-paper sculptures depicting the artists wandering streets and parks in London and inscribed with philosophical slogans, The General Jungle or Carrying on Sculpting was first exhibited at the Sonnabend Gallery in New York in 1971. Published in conjunction with Lévy Gorvy’s exhibition of the work, this fully illustrated catalog features a newly commissioned essay by Michael Bracewell based on a recent interview with the artists, an original poem by Kostas Anagnopoulos, newspaper reviews from the Sonnabend exhibition and a facsimile of the postal sculpture A Day in the Life of George & Gilbert, the Sculptors (1971).