This work is based on a photograph, taken from a newspaper, showing Mick Jagger handcuffed to the art dealer Robert Fraser following their appearance in court on drugs charges. Both were convicted. The title plays on the term ‘Swinging London’ and the judge’s insistence on imposing a swingeing penalty. For many, this occasion typified the moral backlash against the liberalisation of the 1960s. Hamilton is widely regarded as a founder of pop art. He incorporated images from film posters, magazines and art history in his art and was interested in architecture and design, as well as broader political subjects.
This work is based on a photograph, taken from a newspaper, showing Mick Jagger handcuffed to the art dealer Robert Fraser following their appearance in court on drugs charges. Both were convicted. The title plays on the term ‘Swinging London’ and the judge’s insistence on imposing a swingeing penalty. For many, this occasion typified the moral backlash against the liberalisation of the 1960s. Hamilton is widely regarded as a founder of pop art. He incorporated images from film posters, magazines and art history in his art and was interested in architecture and design, as well as broader political subjects.