Erró (born 1932), an Icelandic figure of Figuration Narrative and European pop art, combines comics, political propaganda and masterpieces of art history in richly layered compositions. Discover below his original screenprints and aquatints, signed and certified.
Born in Iceland in 1932 and based in Paris since the late 1950s, Erró (real name Guðmundur Guðmundsson) is one of the major figures of Narrative Figuration and European pop art. His vast canvases, saturated with images borrowed from comic strips, advertising, political propaganda and art history, offer a rich and critical portrait of our world. His screenprints and aquatints extend this visual intensity into formats that can be hung in your own home.
1932Born in Ólafsvík, Iceland, on 19 July
1952–1958Studies in Reykjavík, Oslo, Florence and Ravenna
1958Moves to Paris, where he mixes with the Surrealists and happening artists
1964"Mythologies quotidiennes", MAM Paris
1974"Scapes" series
1989Donation of a large part of his work to Reykjavík
OngoingRetrospectives at the Centre Pompidou and in Lyon
Guðmundur Guðmundsson grew up in Iceland, then studied in Reykjavík, Oslo, Florence and Ravenna. The Byzantine mosaics of Ravenna, with their accumulation of motifs and colours, had a lasting influence on his taste for densely saturated composition.
Arriving in Paris in 1958, he mixed with the Surrealists and happening artists before forging his own language. He first signed his work Ferró, then, following a lawsuit brought by a namesake, permanently adopted the name Erró.
In 1964, Erró took part in "Mythologies quotidiennes", the founding exhibition of Narrative Figuration, alongside Peter Klasen, Jacques Monory, Hervé Télémaque and Valerio Adami. These artists drew on the images of consumer society to narrate and critique their era.
His work has been shown at the Centre Pompidou, in Lyon and in many museums across Europe and Asia. The 1989 donation to the city of Reykjavík remains one of the defining gestures of his career.
Erró's method is collage: he cuts out thousands of images from magazines, comics, posters and art books, assembles them into mock-ups, and then has them painted on a large scale. American superheroes, political leaders, manga, consumer goods and quotations from old masters collide in dizzying compositions.
His "Scapes" series ("Foodscape", "Carscape"), his portraits of political leaders and his "Chinese Paintings", in which Mao strolls through Western tourist sites, are among his greatest successes. This density of imagery is also found in his prints, which reveal new details with every look.
The value of a work by Erró depends on the technique, the format, the subject, the condition and the edition. In general, the market breaks down as follows:
An original screen print or aquatint, signed and numbered by the artist, is distinguished from a simple offset reproduction by its printing process, its paper, its signature and its numbering.
The gallery offers a selection of original prints above. Among the works available online, La gifle (1986), a screen print measuring 30 x 24 cm, is well suited to a first purchase, while Boy Toy (2018) and Femme blonde (2015), two large-format aquatints, offer a striking presence on the wall. The screen print Forgotten Future (2001) has already found a buyer: check the page regularly to follow new acquisitions.
Order online: your work is shipped with care, with tracking and insurance, and accompanied by an invoice-certificate. Each work offered by the gallery is described in detail. Also worth discovering: Andy Warhol, another major voice of pop art.
The works by Erró currently available at the gallery range from €285 to €995, from small-format screen prints to large-format aquatints.
Born in Paris in the 1960s, this movement uses images borrowed from comic strips, advertising and current events to tell stories about and critique the society of its time.
He first signed Ferró before adopting Erró, following a lawsuit brought by a namesake.
These are series of landscapes made from everyday objects, such as "Foodscape" for food or "Carscape" for the automobile.
It has been shown at the Centre Pompidou and in Lyon, and the Reykjavík Art Museum dedicates a space to him thanks to the 1989 donation.
It is printed by screen printing or aquatint, and signed and numbered by hand, which distinguishes it from a poster or a reproduction.
Do you own an oil on canvas, a watercolour or an original drawing by Erró and wish to sell it? Discover how to proceed on our Sell a work page.
