Richard Hamilton (1922-2011)

Painter, collagist and printmaker, born in London, who left school at fourteen, working as a jig and tool draughtsman, 1940-1945. He then worked in advertising, attending evening classes at St. Martin's School of Art and Westminster School of Art. During this period Hamilton also worked in the Window Dressing department of the influential Reimann School in London's Pimlico and furthered his studies at the RA Schools, 1938-1940, leaving to do war service as an engineering draughtsman. Returned to RA Schools in 1946 and was expelled, but continued his studies at Slade School 1948-51.In 1952 he became a teacher of silver work, typography and industrial design at the Central School of Arts & Crafts and was also a visiting lecturer at Bath Academy of Art. One of his colleagues there was Eduardo Paolozzi, with whom Hamilton was a founder member of the Independent Group at the ICA and went on to become an influential figure in the Pop Art