August 9th 2023.
We sadly announce the passing of Jamie MacGregor Reid, the artist behind the Sex Pistols’ signature logo and album covers, who died at the age of 76 on August 8th, 2023. Born in Croydon, London, in 1947, he went on to study at Croydon Art College where he was involved in a student protest in 1968 alongside artist and impresario, Malcolm McLaren. After leaving college, he co-founded the political magazine Suburban Press where he developed his style of cut-up graphics and slogans.
In late 1975, McLaren asked him to work with the Sex Pistols and he went on to design a great deal of their artwork. His most well-known pieces include the cover of their 1977 album Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols, which featured a yellow background with the first half of the album in block capital lettering and the band name in the ransom note style. He was described as ‘artist, iconoclast, anarchist, punk, hippie, rebel and romantic’ for helping to curate the aesthetic of the punk rock era with his approach of using letters cut from newspaper headlines.
His gallerist, John Marchant, told the PA news agency: ‘Jamie leaves behind a beloved daughter, Rowan; a granddaughter, Rose; and an enormous legacy. Universal Majesty, Verity, Love, Infinite.’ His artwork for the British punk band’s classic 1997 song God Save The Queen featured a young Elizabeth II with the record title plastered across her eyes and mouth.
On Twitter, former Sex Pistols bassist Glen Matlock wrote: ‘So sad to hear the news of Jamie Read’s passing away. He was an immense talent, a great guy and will be missed. A privilege to have known him.’
Reid also designed the artwork for some of the group’s most popular singles including Anarchy In The UK, Pretty Vacant and Holidays In The Sun. The artist also created album covers for bands such as the Afro Celt Sound System and engaged visually with socio-political groups including Occupy, Extinction Rebellion and the Free Pussy Riot movement. His pieces are held in major institutions including Tate Britain, New York’s Museum of Modern Art and Houston’s Museum of Fine Art.
In his later years, Reid collaborated with Shepard Fairey, the artist best known for the Barack Obama ‘Hope’ image, and supported the Occupy and Pussy Riot movements. In 2017, he put out a version of God Save the Queen artwork that featured Donald Trump with swastikas for eyes on a backdrop of the US flag, which he called God Save Us All.
Reid’s work is a testament to his legacy as an artist who used his talent to craft the aesthetic of the punk rock era and to create art that communicated his political and social beliefs. His website aptly described his work as a cocktail of ‘gnosticism and dissent’. We will miss his immense talent, passion and creativity, and remember him fondly for all the work he has left behind.
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