Five Tyres abandoned 1964

Editor: This is Richard Hamilton's "Five Tyres Abandoned". It's undated. It's fascinating how he layers geometric shapes and tyre images. It looks almost like a blueprint. What do you see in this piece? Curator: It’s interesting that you call it a blueprint. Hamilton was deeply interested in the language of mass media, advertising, and design. Do you see any repeated shapes? Editor: Yes, lots of circles and squares. Curator: These are Platonic solids, fundamental geometric forms. Hamilton is using these to explore how we create meaning and order. How we try to contain chaos within these perfect forms. Notice the title includes the word “abandoned,” what do you think that could mean? Editor: Perhaps it suggests that these tyres, once symbols of modernity and progress, are now obsolete. Curator: Precisely! Hamilton's artwork prompts us to think about the shifting cultural meaning of objects and their abandonment.