London (BBC).- British artist Richard Hamilton, regarded as a pioneer in the field of Pop art, has died at the age of 89 following a short illness. The London-born artist’s best known work was a 1956 collage featuring a body builder and a tin of ham, which earned him the title “Father of Pop”. The Gagosian Gallery, which announced his death, said the art world had “lost one of its leading lights”. He was working on a major retrospective just days before he died. The exhibition is due to be seen in London, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Madrid next year.