Release,

1972

This screenprint relates to Hamilton’s series of paintings called Swingeing London 67, which he produced in 1968–69. The dramatic image is based on a newspaper photograph, taken by John Twine in June 1967, showing the rock star Mick Jagger and Hamilton’s art dealer, Robert Fraser, in a police van being taken from jail to court, where they were found guilty of drug possession. The title of the series conflates Swinging London—a reference to the city’s hip cultural reputation in the 1960s—with “swingeing,” meaning severe, as a commentary on the penalty imposed by the presiding judge. Jagger and Fraser brandish their handcuffs and shield their faces from the paparazzi, while the screenprint’s metallic paper reflects and implicates the viewer in celebrity culture. The title, Release, is the name of one of two legal aid and social support organizations for which Hamilton made this print as a fundraiser.