Richard Hamilton invented the term 'pop art' 53 years ago and, from his 60s Swingeing London series to Tony Blair as a cowboy, he has been ahead of the curve ever since. On the eve of his new Serpentine show, he grants Rachel Cooke a rare interview.
Richard Hamilton invented the term 'pop art' 53 years ago and, from his 60s Swingeing London series to Tony Blair as a cowboy, he has been ahead of the curve ever since. On the eve of his new Serpentine show, he grants Rachel Cooke a rare interview. the observer
In 1957 Hamilton wrote a note to the brutalist architects Alison and Peter Smithson, who had also contributed to This Is Tomorrow; they were in talks about the idea of another exhibition on similar lines. It was in this note that he coined the phrase pop art. "Pop art," he wrote, "is Popular (designed for a mass audience), Transient (short-term solution), Expendable (easily forgotten), Low Cost, Mass Produced, Young (aimed at youth), Wicked, Sexy, Gimmicky, Glamorous, Big Business." It was almost as though he had looked into a crystal ball, and seen Andy Warhol, in his fright wig, staring back at him. But the letter was not intended to be a manifesto. "I just listed the things I thought were most interesting," says Hamilton. "He [Peter Smithson] didn't even answer it. When he was asked about it later he denied receiving it." What about Just What Is It that Makes Today's Homes So Different, So Appealing? How does he feel about this supposedly seminal work now? "I'm rather bored with it but it's a nice little earner!"


Richard Hamilton, Just what is it that makes today's homes so different, so appealing? collage, 1956.