Contemporary Art, 1960s–present

Pop Art

Just what is it that makes today’s homes so different, so appealing?

Just what is it makes today’s homes so different, so appealing? is a 1956 pop U art photomontage by British artist Richard Hamilton (1922—2011). The work was part of the important “This Is Tomorrow” pop art show at the Whitechapel Gallery in London. Images of the work were used in the catalogue, and in posters for the show. The picture is of a middle-class living room. A black-and-white image of a flexing body builder holds a “Tootsie Pop” candy while another cut-out of a nearly nude woman reclines dramatically on an average-looking couch. Above the room, a photograph of the earth from space looms large. The work is made up of multiple images cut out of American magazines, and is an example of pop art’s use of mass media images. The work has been interpreted as a critique on suburban culture and consumerism.



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