CRUSADE 1980

Curator: This is Gilbert & George's artwork "CRUSADE," a striking large-scale piece residing here at the Tate Collections. Editor: My first impression is stark formality, even severity, with that dominating grid and the high contrast of colors. Curator: The image, created around 1980, certainly carries a weight. Consider the social climate of that decade—Thatcherism, anxieties around societal shifts, and the AIDS crisis looming large. Editor: The red, set against the yellow, and the figures flanking what could be a door, give the piece an almost devotional feel. The symbol of the doorway is so potent. Curator: Absolutely. And framing it as a "crusade" is quite provocative. Think about the power dynamics at play, the sense of moral righteousness, and who gets excluded in such a binary. Editor: It’s more than just binary; it’s iconic, even monumental. It feels constructed like an altarpiece. Curator: I see it as a comment on the political crusades of the time, which is still so relevant today given society's tendency towards divisiveness. Editor: Thinking about those symbols enriches my appreciation for the piece and for the way it frames our own perceptions.