Richard Hamilton Returns With New Show

Richard Hamilton coined the term “Pop art” more than 50 years ago and now he’s set to introduce his latest work in a new show at London’s Serpentine Gallery. “It’s funny because, in the past, my exhibitions haven’t by any means been greeted with praise,” Hamilton said of his renaissance. “I suppose it’s just that people are coming to realize that I’ve done some quite serious things over the past, you know, 50 or 60 years.” Plus, the famed creator of Just What Is It that Makes Today’s Homes So Different, So Appealing? says, he’s managed to outlive his peers, like John Latham and Robert Rauschenberg. His newest work, however, is more political—like a piece consisting of two maps of Israel/Palestine, one in 1947 and one in 2010. “What I always say is: I do whatever I feel like. People don’t seem to understand that an artist is free to do whatever he wants, and I’ve always relished that possibility,” Hamilton added, saying he’s motivated both out of anger and to reinvent himself.