The marriage 1998

Richard Hamilton made this artwork, called "The Marriage", using who knows what process, but I'm guessing it involves photography or printmaking. The whole image has this hazy quality, like a memory fading at the edges, which makes me think about how a photograph can distort the lived experience of marriage. The color palette is really restrained, mostly monochrome, but then you get these pops of color in the bride's kimono, like these bursts of emotion trying to break through. I'm drawn to that little cluster of yellow flowers on her headpiece. It’s like a tiny sun, offering a bit of warmth in this otherwise cool and formal portrait. It almost feels like a subtle nod to Dada or Surrealism. I see a conversation happening between the real and the represented, which is a theme he explored often, like in his earlier piece 'Just What Is It That Makes Today's Homes So Different, So Appealing?'. He leaves us with a lot more questions than answers, about marriage, representation, and maybe even about art itself.