POP! Art in a Changing Britain
[ Exhibition )
Richard Hamilton, Adonis in Y-Fronts, 1963, Screenprint on paper, Pallant House Gallery, Chichester (Wilson Loan 2006) © The Estate of the Artist
How did artists in 1950s and 1960s respond to rapid social change?
A vivid exploration of how Pop Art emerged as a means of addressing the rise of mass media, celebrity and political concerns.
Drawn from our significant collection of British Pop Art, this exhibition explored how artists in Britain in the 1950s and 1960s responded to the rise of mass media, the cult of celebrity, questions of identity and prevalent political concerns – issues that still resonate today.
A generation of artists led by Eduardo Paolozzi, Richard Hamilton, Peter Blake and Patrick Caulfield radically challenged thinking about art and mass media, democratising art by questioning the traditional division between high and low art. They took their cue from advertising, comics, science fiction and contemporary music, embracing non-traditional materials and techniques.
This exhibition celebrated our significant collection of British Pop Art, including major paintings, sculpture and its extensive holding of Pop prints. It includes seminal works such as Peter Blake’s ‘The Beatles, 1962’ (1963-68), Richard Hamilton’s ‘Swingeing London’ (1968), Jann Haworth’s ‘Cowboy’ (1964) and an early example of Pop printmaking, Eduardo Paolozzi’s ‘As Is When’ (1965).
A celebration of the Wilson Collection
Much of the exhibition was drawn from from our significant collection of British Pop Art including important works such as Peter Blake’s ‘The Beatles, 1962’ (1963-68), Richard Hamilton’s ‘Swingeing London’ (1968), Jann Haworth’s ‘Cowboy’ (1964) and an early example of Pop printmaking, Eduardo Paolozzi’s ‘As Is When’ (1965).
Richard Hamilton, Adonis in Y-Fronts (1963)
Richard Hamilton, Adonis in Y-Fronts, 1963, Screenprint on paper, Pallant House Gallery, Chichester (Wilson Loan 2006) © The Estate of the Artist
Patrick Caulfield, Portrait of Juan Gris (1963)
Patrick Caulfield, Portrait of Juan Gris, 1963, Alkyd housepaint on hardboard, Pallant House Gallery, Chichester (Wilson Gift through The Art Fund, 2006) © The Estate of Patrick Caulfield. All rights reserved, DACS 2021
Jann Haworth, Cowboy (1964)
Pallant House Gallery, Chichester (Wilson Gift through The Art Fund, 2006)
Joe Tilson, 1-5 The Senses (1963)
Pallant House Gallery, Chichester (Wilson Loan, 2006) © Joe Tilson All Rights Reserved DACS
R. B. Kitaj, Plays for Total Stakes (1968)
Pallant House Gallery, Chichester (Wilson Loan, 2006) © R B Kitaj
Thanks to this exhibition, we were able to add important new artworks to our collection
These new acquisitions will help us to better tell the story of British art by filling gaps in our permanent collection.
Antony Donaldson, Hollywood
Generously donated by the artist through The Mayor Gallery.
When he arrived in America in 1966, Antony Donaldson immersed himself into the country’s culture, driving from New York to Los Angeles and setting up a studio on Sunset Boulevard. This sculpture was inspired by the art deco cinema palaces which Donaldson saw as architectural symbols of Hollywood glamour.
Donaldson came to prominence in 1962 as part of the first wave of the young generation of British Pop artists. He graduated from the Slade School of Fine Art alongside David Hockney, Allen Jones, Derek Boshier and Peter Phillips. ‘Hollywood’ is the first work by Donaldson we have been able to acquire.
Gerald Laing, Baby Baby Wild Things & Brigitte Bardot (1968)
Purchased with the support of the Art Fund and Pallant House Gallery Acquisitions Fund (2018).
Gerald Laing’s iconography of starlets, film stars, astronauts and racing car drivers from mass media sources, characteristically presented in flat colour shapes have been described as ‘pure pop’. The addition of this iconic portfolio to our collection is the first example of Gerald Laing’s work in our collection.
What the press said
Vibrant. The display captures the spirit of its era… this show feels alive.
Rachel Campbell-Johnston, The Times
Pop’s fondness for bright, ice-cream colours ensures this is an upbeat experience throughout – a highly suitable exhibition to mark the advent of spring.
Alastair Smart, Mail on Sunday
Very elegantly contrived and designed to make us question Britishness. Really important and fascinating. Very well done and very intelligently curated. If Austin Powers curated an exhibition, this would be it.
BBC Radio 4, Saturday Review
Explore British Pop Art
Richly illustrated throughout, Pop! Art in a Changing Britain uses the Gallery’s collection of British Pop Art as a lens to examine how British Pop artists responded to social change during the tumultuous mid-20th century.
Including artist biographies, a timeline of the 1960s which places significant moments in the development of British Pop Art alongside important events in wider culture, science, technology and politics, this is essential for any fan of British art and history of the 20th century.
Want to know more?
If you’re conducting research into this artist or any other aspect of British Modern art, please contact Sarah Norris, Collections Manager on s.norris@pallant.org.uk.