RICHARD HAMILTON, the artist credited as the father of Pop Art, has died at the age of 89.
Hamilton was famous for his paintings, collages and sculptures, and designed the plain white cover for the Beatles’ White Album of 1968.
Hamilton told how Sir Paul McCartney called him to ask him to design the new cover.
The artist said: “I thought it would be appropriate to present an album that was just white.
“Paul was doubtful about it being completely empty, so I suggested that it would be fun to number each copy so that it would have the appearance of being a limited edition.
“I asked how many copies the band expected to sell, and they said about 8m. I made a quick calculation that we would need seven digits.”
The British artist’s 1956 collage, Just What Is It That Makes Today’s Homes So Different, So Appealing?, featuring a bodybuilder holding a lolly with the word “pop” on it, is seen as the first statement of Pop Art.
