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Iconic works by celebrated Pop artist, Richard Hamilton, displayed at Nottingham Lakeside Arts
Works by one of the most important printmakers of the late-twentieth century, Richard Hamilton, are on display at Nottingham Lakeside Arts’ Djanogly Gallery from 7 March.
Following his major retrospective at Tate Modern in 2014, Richard HamiltonWord and Image: Prints 1963-2007 focuses on Hamilton’s career as a printmaker.
Dubbed the forefather of Pop Art, the themes and concerns of Hamilton’s paintings and drawings were also pursued in his graphic works on which he collaborated with some of the greatest master printers of the twentieth century. The selection of 43 works on display represents the full range of his technical accomplishments from traditional engraving, etching and aquatint, to screenprinting in the 1960s.
The exhibition ends with the newly emergent digital media embraced by the artist in his later years. Hamilton set no limits on the technical realisation of his subjects and frequently combined several different printing processes within the same work.
Neil Walker, Head of Visual Arts Programming at Lakeside says, "Through his exploration of different printing techniques and choice of everyday subject matter, Richard Hamilton broke down the barriers between printmaking and contemporary life"
His use of imagery from popular culture is reflected in such early prints in the exhibition as Adonis in Y fronts 1963, and the 1991 laser print Just what is it that made yesterday’s homes so different, so appealing? The original 1956 collage on which the latter work is based featured a muscle man surrounded by various consumer goods of the modern home and is one of the most iconic images of the Pop Art movement.
Equally famous was Hamilton’s series of prints titled Swingeing London. They depict Mick Jagger hand-cuffed in the back of a police car following his arrest for drugs possession in 1967. Hamilton also designed the Beatles ‘White Album’ and the exhibition includes a digital reinterpretation of a folded collage of the Fab Four that was originally sold within the record sleeve. Made in 2007, it proved to be the artist’s last print.
Contemporary and political issues provide the subjects for other of Hamilton’s prints including a number of works concerning the troubles in Northern Ireland. The Citizen 1985 makes reference to the ‘dirty protest’ by IRA prisoners in the Maze H Blocks in the late 1970s. Others depict a parading Orangeman and a patrolling British soldier.
The exhibition has been organised and toured by Barbican International Enterprises. The exhibition runs from Saturday 7 March – Sunday 31 May 2015 and admission is free. For information on talks and events, please call the Box Office on 0115 846 7777.
University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RDBox Office +44 (0)115 846 7777
lakesidearts.org.uk
Djanogly Art Gallery Angear Visitor Centre Museum Djanogly Recital Hall Djanogly Theatre Weston Gallery Wallner Gallery
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NOTES TO EDITORS
1. Hamilton expert Dr. Fanny Singer will give a lecture From Pop Art to the Digital Age: Richard Hamilton in the Print Studio in which she traces the development of Hamilton’s practice from the early etchings to pioneering experiments with photo-mechanical processes such as screenprinting, and his adoption of the computer in the 1980s. The lecture will take place on Wednesday 29 April 6-7pm in the Djanogly Art Gallery Lecture Theatre.
2. Guided tours of the exhibition will be take place in the gallery between 1-2pm on Thursdays: 19 March; 23 April; 14 May; 28 May 2015.
3. For all talks and events please call the Box Office on 0115 846 7777.
4. For further information, interviews and high-resolution images, please contact Nottingham Lakeside Arts Marketing Officer, Kayleigh Chalcroft on 0115 74 84155, or email [email protected]
University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RDBox Office +44 (0)115 846 7777
lakesidearts.org.uk
Djanogly Art Gallery Angear Visitor Centre Museum Djanogly Recital Hall Djanogly Theatre Weston Gallery Wallner Gallery
