If conceptual artist duo Gilbert & George made animated videos, I expect they might look something like Hoogerbrugge’s for the Pet Shop Boys’ latest single, “Love Etc.” It’s basically a gay couple self-portrait defined by black outlined objects, flat color backgrounds, photographic reference, and suits a plenty. The connections are practically endless. Unlike the Gilbert & George retrospective at the Brooklyn Museum, however, I like this video. Quirky without becoming just plain weird, the animation actually achieves the goals of their conceptual artist counterparts– accessibility.
Possibly the first pop band to name-check Gerhard Richter, The Pet Shop Boys also please this blog’s author by citing a famous contemporary painter. “You need more than the Gerhard Richter hangin’ on your wall” chirps Neil Tennant, suggesting the transcendental qualities ascribed to his art don’t replace love. Well, that, or more simply objects as status symbols aren’t of any substantive value.
