Gilbert & George’s art is a form of self-portraiture, since they almost always feature in their own work. They have said that ‘it’s all one big portrait’. They see no separation between their activities as artists and their everyday existence. In 1969, they began to present themselves as ‘living sculptures’ and developed the mask-like personas that are presented here. The title of this work suggests a painting rather than a video, and the slowed-down action suggests the long, scrutinizing gaze of an artist examining his model.