In his celebrated collages, Richard Hamilton explored the relationship between fine art, product design, and popular culture, setting the stage for Pop art. His most iconic work, Just What Is it that Makes Todayâs Homes So Different, So Appealing? (1956)âa scene comprised of images cut from magazines ads, showing a semi-nude couple in their living spaceâwas produced for the groundbreaking exhibition âThis is Tomorrow,â organized by the Independent Group at the Whitechapel Art Gallery in London in 1956.
Throughout his career, Hamilton continued to break down hierarchies of artistic value, making silkscreens of Mick Jaggerâs drug arrest, producing studies of industrial design objects (like toasters), and designing the cover of the Beatlesâ 1968 White Album.