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GERALD
LAING

1962–1965

Early Pop Paintings

As one of the original wave of Pop artists, Gerald Laing produced some of the most significant works of the British Pop movement. His paintings reproduced images of popular heroes such as starlets, film stars, drag racers, astronauts and skydivers.

1965–1973

Abstract Sculpture

Gerald Laing's painting evolved into abstract sculptures using the techniques and materials of car customisation - lacquering, spray-painting and chrome-plating on metal. A move to the Highlands of Scotland saw his sculpture respond to the beauty and power of the landscape.

1973–2002

Figurative Sculpture

Inspired by the Artillery Memorial at Hyde Park Corner, Gerald Laing began modeling in clay and casting in bronze. The Galina Series marked his transition to representational sculpture, creating powerful figurative works that captured human form and emotion.

2002–2011

Late Paintings

The Iraq war and images of torture at Abu Ghraib prison drew Gerald Laing back to painting for the first time in over three decades. The War Paintings series sees the starlets and heroes of his early work take on new, more sinister roles. Other paintings examined the media images of contemporary celebrities including Amy Winehouse and Kate Moss.

1962–2011

Prints

Print-making was an important part of Laing's work throughout his career: from the starlets, dragsters and skydivers series of the 1960s to the 21st century prints of Amy Winehouse.

1958–1962

Pre-Pop Paintings

Before he developed his 'tonal pointilist' halftone technique and embraced Pop, Gerald Laing experimented with a number of approaches to painting, exploring traditional figurative painting and abstract expressionism.

News

Once Upon a Time in London: Exhibition at Saatchi Yates, London

1 July 2025

Gerald Laing’s painting Cléo from 5 to 7 is being shown at Saatchi Yates gallery in London, as part of a major group exhibition of London-based artists from the 1950s to the present day.
Laing’s painting sits alongside works by his contemporaries such as Francis Bacon, Frank Auerbach, Lucian Freud and David Hockney. The exhibition also explores the London art scene of the 1990s, including works by Damien Hirst and Jenny Saville and features more recent works by Lynette Yiadom Boakye, Jade Fadoujitimi, Oli Epp and Benjamin Spiers.

Once Upon a Time in London, Saatchi Yates, London, 2025

Cléo from 5 to 7, Oil on canvas, 1962

GERALDLAING