A Critique of Commercial World in Richard Hamilton’s Works

The 1950s saw a significant rise in commercialism and mass culture. The world was becoming more and more superficial and artists such as Richard Hamilton used art to analyze and criticize the commercial world. Using text and image Richard Hamilton appealed to the everyday person, bridging the gap between everyday life and high art. However, was still able to create controversial works commenting on the modern world. The world had been nature made, however, by the 1950s everything was man made. The commercial world had emerged, causing a rise in mass production and popular culture. The economy began to pick up and it was economic boomtime. War technologies were transformed into domestic appliances, and these mass-produced products were advertised. Television, radio, magazines, billboards, neon signs, bright, bold and eye-catching colours were everywhere. Due to new technologies there was a rise of film making, celebrity culture and Hollywood. The world was changing rapidly, and artists had to respond. Richard Hamilton helped form Pop Art, and art movement commenting on the superficiality of the commercial world. Pop Art originated in England and began with a group of young British artists, architects and critics. The movement reacted against cerebral abstract expressionism. They came together in the 1950s to discuss the rise of popular culture and aspects of commercialism that were not being considered part of ‘traditional art’. Before the term Pop Art the name for this movement was, “the new Brutalism”, a more descriptive term, generalising the art themes found in the movement. 

Richard Hamilton was one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century. He pioneered the Pop Art movement and his ideas paved the way for incoming modern artists. Hamilton introduced ideas surrounding the commercial world and the integration of modern visual sources into high art. 'I would like to think of my purpose as a search for what is epic in everyday objects.' Hamilton viewed Pop Art as a way of life, and that the artist should be an active consumer and contributor to mass culture. Up until this point art was considered separate from the mass culture, however Pop Art aimed to bridge this gap. Hamilton explored and considered all visual sources, especially those driven by the commercial world. He aimed for total immersion in popular culture, for example, movies, television and music. “The artist in twentieth-century urban life is inevitably a consumer of mass culture and potentially a contributor to it.” This led to later collaboration with The Rolling Stones and the Beatles. Hamilton was a painter and collage artist; he created visual juxtapositions that aimed to capture the energy of the changing modern world. His works vary from collages, paintings and sketches and even a combination of the three. He merged a variety of sources such as magazines, television, advertisements and other medias that were not previously considered as ‘art’. Hamilton combined text into his works to comment on shallow nature of the commercial world, while also being an active member within it. 

One of Hamilton’s most influential works “Just what is it that makes today's homes so different, so appealing?” the name Pop Art was born. In this collage he depicted a muscle man holding a paddle with the word 'POP' on it. From here, he gave an identity to the whole 'Pop Art' movement. Hamilton’s works not only commented on the superficiality of the commercial world, but also expressed Hamilton’s political opinions surrounding major social issues he was witnessing. These became images of protest varying between, portraits, interiors and landscapes, and often incorporating digital technology and media to create multiple manifestations of the same images. By including text, magazine statements and other multimedia sources Hamilton was able to create works that appealed to the everyday person, but also had a deeper critical nature. His paintings and prints were constantly challenging ideas surrounding high art and broke the rules and boundaries of what was considered the “norm”. 

Due to new technologies visual communication was never easier. An example of this communication is advertising which focused mainly on the female form however, Hamilton was one of the first Pop Artists to make masculinity the subject of his work. The work ‘Towards a definitive statement on the coming trends in menswear and accessories Together let us explore the stars’, is an exploration of the portrayal of masculinity, that is serious but hilarious at the same time. It is a medium scale work, using oil paint, cellulose paint and printed paper on wood. The work comments on range of sources in the media that define the ‘modern man’ yet is still light-hearted and fun. The well-known American president John F. Kennedy appears in an abstracted astronaut helmet, a reference to his well-known determination to win the ‘Space Race’. Hidden by the vague shape Kennedy’s solemn expression seems to be looking out into the distance. Objects that are symbols of the president’s ambition seem to float around the painting, interacting with each other. These images are surrounded by painterly brushstrokes and magazine cut outs. They appear to be defying gravity, as through they are in an undefined orbit. The interest in space travel is mirrored in the paintings title “Together let us explore the stars”. The phrase “trends in Menswear and accessories” is taken from a fashion article out of playboy magazine. By adding “towards a definitive statement,” to the phrase a mocking tone is created. Hamilton balances muted greys and blues with a red accent colour, to create a humorous yet culturally relevant painting. 

Hamilton was fascinated by modern technology and often incorporated elements of design into his work. Shapes reminiscent of car parts and space travel can be seen, along with a drawing of a camera lens. The work is an investigation of the commercial world, due to Hamilton’s understanding that ‘the artist in twentieth-century urban life is inevitably a consumer of mass culture and potentially a contributor to it.’ The work has critical intentions but still understands and is fascinated by popular culture. Hamilton recognised the superficiality of the new consumer-based world. Yet with this understanding, he still was interested and participated in popular culture, and conveyed this in his works. Hamilton criticises the modern world while also immersing himself in it. Up until the time everyday life was considered separate from high art, the commercial world and the consumer were not included. Hamilton aimed to invite the everyday person into his art, by including references to popular culture. He gave other artists permission to explore all visual sources, specifically those driven by the commercial world. Hamilton appealed to the everyday person using well known images, magazine cut outs and text. His works were inspired by the commercial world, but criticised and analysed it in humorous ways. Hamilton’s works were light-hearted and poked fun at the modern world. Hamilton himself was fascinated by commercialism but was able to see the shallow nature of the world and conveyed his understanding in his works.

The world had changed rapidly. Commercialisation was everywhere and popular culture was rising. Richard Hamilton saw this change and used his works to comment on what he was seeing. Through the use of text, image and other multimedia sources, Hamilton created works that understood mass culture but still commented on the superficial nature of the modern world.