richard hamilton
This Is Tomorrow

The Independent Group of artists reflected, and pushed for, the transition from the grey austerity of post-war Britain to the technicolour explosion of the 1960s. Their work showed this culture shift through collage, painting and sculpture, dismissing the elitism of the art world. The initial idea was based around a theme of a ‘modern’ way of living, trying to define what ‘tomorrow’ would look like. Richard Hamilton’s Just What Is It That Makes Today’s Homes So Different, So Appealing? was used to publicise the This Is Tomorrow exhibition. It was held in the Whitechapel Gallery in London’s East End in 1956 and included artists, architects, musicians and graphic designers working together in 12 groups. The groups worked independently and were given only £50 for materials.

During the 1950s mass production, novel materials and new technologies were celebrated as an exciting new frontier. It was two years in the making and the outcome transformed the Whitechapel Gallery into a vibrant interactive space of installations and experiences rather than a staid and static hanging of pictures. It is seen as an iconic show in its conception and realisation and its effect is still felt today, however there must have been some influence from Barbara Jones’ Black Eyes And Lemonade exhibition some four years earlier. With no interpretation panels and other information available, visitors had to make their own judgements as to how to navigate inside the gallery and interpret the works they viewed.

The exhibition’s most remembered exhibit was the room created by Group 2, which included Hamilton and John McHale. It showed Op Art dazzle panels, Space modules, posters of Marilyn Monroe and Marlon Brando, an image of Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, a Jukebox, a reel of film depicting the Royal Navy Fleet at sea and Guinness beer bottles. In highlights from a 1979 documentary by the architectural critic Reyner Banham, he said: “This is modern art to entertain people, modern art as a game people will want to play. The sense of involvement and fun.” The artists recall their excitement over the collaborations and the cost constraints made them all the more inventive. The show was opened by Robby the Robot, star of the sci-fi movie Forbidden Planet. Some commented that at least he was a lot easier to book than Marilyn Monroe.
 

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