An Encyclopaedia of Great British Collage (Or How I Learnt To Stop Worrying And Love The Monarchy) is a forthcoming exhibition of collage art by Martin Laird. It will be on show at Northlight gallery in Stromness from Thursday the 19th of September to Friday the 8th of October 2024, 10am to 5pm daily except Sundays.

The collages are constructed from antique journals, encyclopaedias and Royal souvenir memorabilia – primarily material concerning the 1897 Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria, 1935 Silver Jubilee of King George V, 1936 abdication of Edward VIII, and the 1936 coronation of George VI.

This work represents countless hours spent poring over thousands of fragile pages looking for meaningful connections, and dozens of dulled scalpel blades. Through the alchemy of collage, the leaden heads of the Saxe-Coburg and Gotha/Windsor dynasty are transmuted into golden gods of Babylon.