Robert Loughlin 1949–2011
Robert Loughlin was a beloved artist and figure in the world of design. Born in Alameda, California in 1949, his interest in design flourished at a young age. By the 1970s, he opened two stores in San Francisco specializing in American Industrial Design. In 1980, he relocated to Miami Beach, Florida where he established a third store and also began painting.
After several years, he moved to New York City and opened the Executive Gallery where he became immersed in the art, design and gay subculture. Together with his knowledge of the New York market, he became known for his interior design work assisting clients such as Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Robert Mapplethorpe. At this time, his repetitive imagery of the smoking square-jawed male figure began to appear across the city on found objects including doors, tables, bottles, skateboards, other works of art, and public spaces alike.
His artworks are collected by institutions such as The Carnegie Museum of Art and among personal collections including the artist Donald Baechler. Tragically, Robert Loughlin was struck by a car near his home in New Jersey in 2011.