Artwork
Biography
Born in Newcastle Upon Tyne in 1936, Gerald Ogilvie Laing is one of the most celebrated artists Pop Artists of his generation.
In the early 1960s he studied at Saint Martins School of Art, London, before moving to New York in 1963. Whilst in New York Laing met and worked alongside a group of emerging American artists including Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein and Robert Indiana.
The 1960s were an incredibly productive time for Laing and during the decade he attained international success as one of the major pioneers in the avant-garde art world, producing some of the most iconic Pop Art images of the time. Laing encapsulated the Pop aesthetic through both politics and celebrity; these enduring images established him as a major force in the Pop Art movement.
During this time Laing produced several portfolios of silkscreen prints. The best known of these is the 1968 ‘Pop’ series, consisting of three portfolios and one single print. Laing meticulously printed these editions by hand in downtown Manhattan in 1968 and they are now amongst his most celebrated and desirable works. AAD from this series is currently available through RedHouse Originals.
In the early part of this century Laing revisited the themes so prevalent in his Pop period with a series of paintings and prints exploring recent political and social change. Truth or Consequences (2004) and Capriccio (2005) identify and reflect the trauma and paranoia of state terrorism, while his portraits of Victoria Beckham (2008), Amy Winehouse (2008) and Kate Moss (2007) highlight society’s obsession with fame, infamy and the nature of celebrity.
The artist’s work can be found in major international collections including the Tate, V&A and the National Portrait Gallery.
Laing settled in the Scottish Highlands where he rebuilt the 16th Century Kinkell Castle. He lived and worked at Kinkell until he sadly passed away in November 2011 aged 75.
Image credit: Chris Jackson and Getty Images.
Pop Shop
Media
Read: Tablet Magazine (2023)
The Mystery of Gerald Laing, The Forgotten Pioneer of Pop Art
