Richard Hamilton | The Digital as a Gift

August 9th, 1956. The new exhibition “This Is Tomorrow” in the Whitechapel Gallery in London launched what we now know as Pop Art. Four years previously in 1952 a handful of young British artists, designers, architects and art critics had formed the Independent Group at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London. The members were already discussing the idea of absorbing the triviality of everyday objects, like advertising and consumerism, into the preserves of art, forging a connection between “high” and “low” culture. Richard Hamilton, born in London in 1922, was one of the founding members of the Independent Group. With his collage “Just what is it that makes today’s homes so different, so appealing?” on display at “This Is Tomorrow” he created the first work of Pop Art and is, in consequence, one of the most important modern artists of the twentieth century. Under the intellectual influence of Marcel Duchamps he produced art that was more reminiscent of an advertising campaign at the time rather than a work of art in the classical sense. In his aforementioned collage Hamilton combines body-builders, pin-up girls, a tin of ham and a Ford emblem on canvas.

„An Annunciation (b)“, 2005 – 2006 Öl auf Inkjet auf Leinwand© VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2008

Here he reflects his fascination and, at the same time, his critique of modern society and the Ford-dominated pulp culture of the 50s. Unlike the American advocates of Pop Art, Hamilton, as an Englishman, had a differentiated and more critical approach to the “American Way of Life”. His depictions aren’t as obvious as those of the Americans, but rather coded and ambivalent. For his collages Hamilton uses everyday objects. He uses photographs, adverts and posters as well as new techniques like computer generated images. As early as the 50s Hamilton believed that the binary system would provide the basis for generating all images imaginable. From the 1970s onward Hamilton was always technologically up to the minute; the computer enabled him to generate his work digitally and to change earlier works, honing them to perfection. The real gift inherent in a computer for a collagist, says Hamilton, is the high level of control you gain.

„Bathroom – fig.2 II“, 2005/06Öl auf Inkjet auf Leinwand© VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2008

Hamilton’s exhibition “The Digital Masterpiece” in the Kunsthalle Bielefeld, records to what extent, since 1994, the artist has utilized apparently mundane pictorials, like postcard motifs, in order to vary them, giving new meaning and insight. Due to repeated digital reworking pieces of art are created that despite their perfection still carry alternatives within them. The readiness of a digital piece of work to remain available for reworking and adaptation makes Hamilton’s unstinting search for the “masterpiece beneath” to one of the central themes of the exhibition. One of his masterpieces however will be missing: the former Hamilton student and erstwhile lead singer of Roxy Music. Hamilton once said of the singer: “Bryan Ferry is my best work of art.” Nevertheless a visit to Bielefeld is still well worth it.

Richard Hamilton Foto > Joachim Schmidt-Dominé

„Richard Hamilton – Digitale Engel“, Kunsthalle Bielefeld till 10.8.2008
www.kunsthalle-bielefeld.de

Text englisch > Kathrin Heimburger

First Picture > Richard Hamilton, „Kunsthalle Bielefeld“, 1978 Grafit und PastellPrivatbesitz © VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2008

Dieser Beitrag wurde am Samstag, Juli 5th, 2008 um 06:54 publiziert. es ist abgelegt unter Archiv. Du kannst die Antworten zu diesem Beitrag über den RSS 2.0 Feed verfolgen.