Gerald Scarfe is one of Britain’s most celebrated and distinctive artists, cartoonists and illustrators. His unmistakable political cartoons have decorated the editorial pages of London’s most prestigious Sunday newspaper, The Sunday Times, for more than five decades. For The Daily Mail he also contributed editorial reportage in the 1960s from around the world, including memorable illustrations of the war in Vietnam. The same decade saw his work appearing regularly in two of the country’s most popular magazines, Private Eye and Punch, while he also contributed several of the most creative cover designs for Time magazine.

His journalistic and editorial work was merely the springboard for a life devoted to a dazzlingly diverse array of creative ventures. Over the course of his long and distinguished career, Scarfe’s talent has been turned to many other media beyond the printed page, including television (where, among other commissions, he provided the unforgettable opening title sequence for the BBC comedy classic, Yes, Minister); theatre; opera; ballet; and cinema, notably his work as Production Designer on the 1997 Disney animation, Hercules. 

His depictions of major British figures, past and present, were commissioned and exhibited by the National Portrait Gallery in 2003 – merely one of literally dozens of exhibitions of his work which have been staged since the late 1960s. He has been a regular broadcaster, most recently as the presenter of BBC Radio 4’s Recycled Radio, and has also worked successfully as a film and TV director, a costume and set designer, and an author.

Among his many honours, he was awarded a CBE in HM The Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2008; and he was also invited to design a set of postage stamps for The Royal Mail. Since the 1960s, his drawings have often been collected in book form, most notably in his pictorial autobiography, Scarfe by Scarfe (1986), which was made into a BBC film, and also Drawing Blood, published in 2005. But perhaps his most familiar and widely seen work has arisen from his frequent collaborations with the rock band, Pink Floyd, on whose career he left an indelible and unique mark.
 

About Us: Born in London in 1936, Gerald’s career has spanned more than 60 years.

He established himself as a satirical cartoonist working for Punch magazine and Private Eye during the early sixties. He was political cartoonist for the Sunday Times for 50 years, and for The New Yorker magazine for 15 years.

Other work includes collaborations with Pink Floyd, including for their 1979 Album The Wall and as production designer for the 1982 film adaptation.

Scarfe designed Disney’s animated feature Hercules (1997) and created the opening titles for Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister.

He has designed sets and costumes for plays, operas, ballet, and musicals including Orpheus in the Underworld (ENO), The Nutcracker (English National Ballet), Fantastic Mr Fox, and The Magic Flute (LA Opera). He has had many one-man exhibitions worldwide.