In memoriam: Sex Pistols album artist Jamie Reid (1947 – 2023)
Jamie Reid was best known for his bold album artwork for the Sex Pistols
Jamie Reid, British artist and graphic designer, has died aged 76. Reid’s subversive body of work most famously included album artwork for the Sex Pistols, with his distinctive, bold aesthetic and playful defacing of Cecil Beaton’s portrait of Queen Elizabeth II shaping a generation of punk.
Born in London in 1947, Reid attended Wimbledon Art School aged 16, followed by Croydon Art School, where he met Malcolm McLaren, who was to become the Sex Pistols’ manager.
Reid brought to his artwork a preoccupation with political issues, from the justice system to nuclear weapons. His bold graphic design referenced ransom notes, with cut-and-paste letters appearing to be snipped from newspapers, while his collage style lent a jumble of colours and forms to the covers of the Sex Pistol’s album Never Mind the Bollocks and single ‘Anarchy in the UK’.
Later in his career, Reid worked with street artist Shepard Fairey and, in 1987, punk historian Jon Savage on a book of his works. ‘His ability to render complex ideas in eye-catching visuals was [the Sex Pistols’] perfect accompaniment,’ Savage has posted following Reid’s passing. In a statement, Reid’s gallerist John Marchant Gallery added: ‘Artist, iconoclast, anarchist, punk, hippie, rebel and romantic. Jamie leaves behind a beloved daughter Rowan, a granddaughter Rose, and an enormous legacy.’
Today, Reid’s works can be found in the Tate Britain, New York's Museum of Modern Art, and Houston's Museum of Fine Art.
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
Hannah Silver is the Art, Culture, Watches & Jewellery Editor of Wallpaper*. Since joining in 2019, she has overseen offbeat design trends and in-depth profiles, and written extensively across the worlds of culture and luxury. She enjoys meeting artists and designers, viewing exhibitions and conducting interviews on her frequent travels.
-
A new limited-edition Rhodes piano and Gibson doubleneck guitar aim for the stars
The new Rhodes Mk8 Earth Edition piano and Gibson Jimmy Page EDS-1275 Doubleneck guitar revisit classic instruments at a price
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
The new interior design trends we spotted at Salone del Mobile 2024
These are the interior design trends to look out for in 2024 and beyond, from soft upholstery to conversation pits and low dining
By Rosa Bertoli Published
-
Tiffany & Co nods to its theatrical history with a surreal new campaign
Tiffany & Co campaign ‘With Love, Since 1837’ sees Dan Tobin Smith and set designer Rachel Thomas create an offbeat set
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Remembering Richard Serra (1938-2024), American art’s man of steel
American artist Richard Serra, whose vast sculptures transformed landscapes around the world, has died aged 85
By Hannah Silver Published
-
In memoriam: photographer Brian Griffin (1948 – 2024)
Remembering British photographer Brian Griffin, we look back on his playful shoot for Wallpaper* May 2018
By Hannah Silver Published
-
In memoriam: Joe Tilson (1928 – 2023)
We remember British artist Joe Tilson, who brought a joyful riot of colour to the Pop Art scene
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Remembering Phyllida Barlow (1944 – 2023): a titanic force of British sculpture
We look back on the life and work of Phyllida Barlow, revered British sculptor, educator and Hauser & Wirth artist who has passed away aged 78
By Harriet Lloyd-Smith Published
-
Remembering New York artist Daniel Brush, 1947 – 2022
In tribute to Daniel Brush, who has died aged 75, we revisit this 2020 Wallpaper* profile of the elusive New York artist by jewellery historian Vivienne Becker, who unravelled the secrets of his singular designs for her book, ‘Daniel Brush: Jewels Sculpture’
By Vivienne Becker Published
-
Remembering artist Ashley Bickerton (1959 – 2022)
Ashley Bickerton, known for his subversive, conceptual takes on consumerism, has died aged 63. We explore his life, work, and extraordinary studio, photographed in 2017 when Wallpaper* US director Michael Reynolds and Stephen Kent Johnson visited the artist
By Martha Elliott Last updated
-
Remembering Pierre Soulages (1919-2022), a pioneer of post-war abstraction
Pierre Soulages, the pioneering French printmaker, sculptor and ‘painter of black’, has died aged 102
By Diane Theunissen Published
-
A tribute to William Klein (1928-2022), legendary photographer of urban life
William Klein, the American-French artist responsible for transforming the worlds of fashion photography, street photography and cinema verité, has died in Paris aged 96
By Tom Seymour Last updated