Opening on Saturday 18th March 2023, we're delighted to announce our Gordon House exhibition of original prints at Goldmark Gallery in Uppingham. This is a rare opportunity to view an exquisite collection of original etchings, aquatints, screenprints and lithographs by this renowned artist.
Gordon House photographed in his studio in the late 1960s by Joanne Marks
Gordon House (1932-2004) was an accomplished British artist and printmaker who is beginning to be regarded as one of the important figures in British printmaking in the latter half of the 20th century. Born in Pontardawe, South Wales, his family soon moved to Letchworth Garden City. The strict grids and geometry found in much of House’s art may have been inspired by the optimism and public spirit that guided the urban design of his hometown. House went on to receive a scholarship to St Albans School of Art.
After completing his studies, House worked in advertising as a graphic designer and artist, producing work for ICI and the Kynoch Press. In the 1960s he designed for both the art and pop worlds, designing promotional material for leading London galleries and collaborations with the Beatles, Paul McCartney and the Rolling Stones.
Alongside his graphic design work, House produced his own art, showing with the London Group in 1957. The 1960s witnessed his increasing involvement with the vibrant new British art scene; he took part in the key Situation exhibition at the RBA Galleries and designed its eye-opening catalogue. House was involved in a string of important exhibitions, from New Painting in England, at Leverkusen Museum, West Germany, in 1961, to The Sixties Art Scene in London, at the Barbican Centre, 1993, and was a regular exhibitor at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition.
Gordon House photographed in the early 1960s by Joanne Marks
Gordon House was a hard working man who excelled in two fields, graphic design and contemporary art, producing unique and unmistakable images, apparently abstract, but leaning heavily on visual sources. His work is held by key public and corporate collections in Britain and abroad, including the Victoria and Albert Museum, Arts Council of Great Britain, Museum of Modern Art, New York, and the Tate Gallery in London.
Throughout his life, House remained committed to the art of printmaking, and his legacy continues to influence and inspire printmakers and artists around the world.