Lack was born in 1946 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and gained a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from McGill University in 1967, followed by a Master of Fine Arts in Sculpture at Universidad de Guanajuato, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, in 1969. He lives and works in New York City, and is the father of Asher Lack, front-man of the band Ravens & Chimes.