Peaking Lights Beautiful Son (2012)
Gilbert Proesch and George Passmore range among the most iconic figures in contemporary art. The two men met in 1967 while studying sculpture at St. Martin’s School of Art in London, and shortly afterwards their partnership as Gilbert & George began.
In 1969, whilst still at St. Martin’s, the duo created “The Singing Sculpture” for which they stood on a table dancing and singing the Flanagan and Allen standard “Underneath the Arches” with their faces covered in silver paint. The work was an early example of the concept of “living sculptures,” which Gilbert & George adopted in both their art and their daily lives, becoming not only creators of art but the art itself.
The two men known for their innovative and boundary-pushing work aren’t only partners in art but also in life. They got married in 2008. Obviously, creative couples who work together aren’t exclusive to the visual arts. In music there are a lot of examples too—from Paul and Linda McCartney, who formed the band Wings, to Sonny and Cher, to Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth and so on.
Another example is the American duo composed of Indra Dunis and Aaron Coyes, who perform as Peaking Lights. Dunis and Coyes, who also have a romantic relationship, are cultivating a very unique blend of psychedelic pop, dub and krautrock to create their distinctive, sun-soaked sound.
A highlight in Peaking Lights’ catalog is “Beautiful Son” from the 2012 album Lucifer, an epic lullaby featuring an extended bluesy guitar solo. The song is about their actual son, Mikko, who was a newborn at the time they wrote it. It is our song of the day.
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