Henk van den Bosch (1960) intricately incorporates the element of time within his works. To fully comprehend the creation, one must take their time and ponder – is it a window, a mirror, a painting within a painting, or another space that the piece reflects?
Judith van Meeuwen, curator at KAdE art hall, refers to this technique as “slow-looking.” Along with this direct encounter with time, references to seasons and the atmosphere of the 1950s also play a significant role. Van den Bosch’s paintings often depict vast interiors with a glimpse into an adjoining space. Be it through a window, a doorway, a staircase, or even the outdoors, the viewer is invited to wander through the composition, losing track of time.
In 1956, the Whitechapel Art Gallery in London unveiled the exhibition “This is Tomorrow,” which became the legendary starting point of British pop art. The entrance to the exhibition was marked by a large reproduction of a small collage by Richard Hamilton, which would later become an iconic symbol of British pop art.
The collage, aptly titled “Just What Is It That Makes Today’s Homes So Different, So Appealing?” was composed of magazine and advertisement clippings, arranged within a perspective space resembling a living room. In the center of the room stands a bodybuilder, while a pin-up model poses on the couch – the epitome of the modern couple in the language of advertising. Surrounding them are symbols of modern life, such as a television, tape recorder, vacuum cleaner, and a pulp comic strip serving as a modern painting on the wall. The window grants a glimpse of the bustling urban nightlife.
With just one glance, it is evident that the living room represents the essence of modern life in 1956.
At first glance, it is evident that the living room serves as a model for the modern life of 1956. Upon closer examination, Hamilton made use of other current images as well. It appears that the living room is composed of macro-shots of water, the moon’s surface, and a crowded summer beach, which respectively form the floor, ceiling, and rug. Thus, the spatial dimensions of the room are of a completely different order, a macrocosm in which modern life unfolds as a microcosm. It is precisely this relationship that made Hamilton’s Just What Is It… the icon of the modern future: tomorrow begins today.
www.ftn-books.com has the TRANSPOSITION book by van den Bosch now available.
