9th November 2012

Saw Richard Hamilton: The Late Works at The National Gallery today.  It was a wonderful to see this work, all produced in the ten years before he died last year.

The show is exciting, beautiful, rich and enigmatic.  Referring back to his early photomontage works but suffused with a shocking dignity, these pictures are a digital mix of photography and painting, playing with layers, reflections, perspective and his personal iconography, that includes startling statue like nude females seemingly transported into cool interiors and from another plane.  The pictures are calm, powerful and melancholy.  

This work is quite unlike the more political Hamilton show at the Serpentine a couple of years ago which is not surprising.  As he said, "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."

I strongly recommend that you see this show if you get a chance.  It is on until the 13th January (and it is free).