Catalogue Raisonné. Galina II, CR291
The Major Periods
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. His 1962 portrait of Brigitte Bardot is an iconic work of the period and regularly features in major Pop retrospectives alongside Lincoln Convertible from 1964, a commemoration of the assassination of JFK.
1965 – 1970: Utopian Abstract Sculpture
From 1965 Gerald Laing's painting evolved into abstract sculptures using the techniques and materials of car customisation - lacquering, spray-painting and chrome-plating on metal.
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1970 – 1973: Sculpture In The Landscape
A move from New York to the Highlands of Scotland in 1970 saw Gerald Laing's sculpture respond to the beauty, roughness and power of the surrounding landscape.
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1972 – 2010: Public Sculpture
Public sculptures include the the Bank Station Dragons; the Rugby Sculptures at Twickenham Stadium; the Cricketer at Lords; the Highland Clearances Memorial in Helmsdale, Sutherland and Axis Mundi in Edinburgh.
1973 – 1980: Galina Series
Inspired by the figurative sculpture of the First World War Artillery Memorial at Hyde Park Corner, in 1973 Gerald Laing began to model in clay and cast in bronze. The Galina Series and associated sculptures were his first works from this period.
1982 – 2007: Portrait Heads
Gerald Laing's portrait work includes heads and reliefs of Luciano Pavarotti, Andy Warhol, Paul Getty and Sam Wanamaker.
2002 – 2005: War Paintings
The Iraq war and the publication of 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 all-American heroes of his early paintings take on new, more sinister roles.
2004 – 2011: New Paintings
Returning to the style and subject matter of his early pop art paintings, Gerald Laing's latest paintings feature media images of contemporary celebrities including Amy Winehouse and Kate Moss.
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Galina II
CR 291
Ednburgh, Scotland
1973
Bronze
11.75 x 8 x 9 inches
Edition of 10
4,8 of 10 (Ivy)
Citations and Comments
Back at Kinkell I began another sculpture using the comparatively small amount of clay I had left. It was a head of Galina, now known as Galina II. She suggested making up for it, and put on extravagant eye make up and violet cloche hat. It is strange that I have now forgotten the colour of the hat. It was a standard 1920’s type, but it came from Biba. Above all it put me in mind of the welded steel sculpture of a similar subject by Gonzales which had nudged me when I first saw it in a catalogue of his works. It was a roughly drawn welded steel head, with the arc of the brim of the cloche hat very clearly articulated. Looking at a catalogue of Picasso’s sculpture, in the creation of which Gonzales was very much involved, I realised how full of humour they are. Galina II was influenced not only by Gonzales, but also Brancusi.
, 'Gerald Laing: An Autobiography', unpublished manuscript, 2011- Max Hutchinson Gallery, New York, 1976
- Gerald Laing: A Retrospective 1963–1993, The Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh, 1993
- Independent Gallery, London, 1993
- Gerald Laing: The Galina Series, Inverness Museum and Art Gallery, 1994
- Gerald Laing: Sculpture 1968–1999, The Fine Art Society, London, 1999
- Gerald Laing: Sculpture at Chisenbury Priory, Chisenbury Priory, 2002
- Gerald Laing: From 1963 to the Present, Bourne Fine Art, Edinburgh, 2004
- Gerald Laing: Sculpture 1965–1978, The Fine Art Society, London, 2008
- Gerald Laing 1936–2011: A Retrospective, The Fine Art Society, London, 2016