Rimma Gerlovina was born in Moscow in 1951. In 1973 she graduated from Moscow State University with a degree in philology. Valeriy Gerlovin was born in 1945 in Vladivostok. He attended the Art Studio of the Moscow Art Theater, and after graduating in 1967 worked as a stage designer at the Moscow circus.
The Gerlovins began working together in 1971, initially focusing on uniting words and images. They created conceptual poetry and pursued the traditions of Malevich, Khlebnikov, and Kruchenykh. They were active participants in the Moscow underground and were supporters of innovative alternative art.
In 1980 the Gerlovins emigrated to the United States and began working on their photographed performances. For their body art they perceive the human face and body as text, not unlike an ancient manuscript that provides the history of the world and its civilizations. Their art is a multicultural phenomenon and explores dimensions of cultural self-preservation.
Their works can be found in many major museums throughout the United States and in Western Europe. The Gerlovins live in Pomona, New York.