Richard Hamilton

This portraitback to top

Hamilton is photographed holding his 'multiple' The critic laughs (1971-2). This began as a readymade formed of a Braun electric toothbrush and a set of novelty sugar teeth. The title refers to Jasper Johns's work The critic smiles (1969). Two prints of the piece were produced but, when the teeth deteriorated, Hamilton invited Fluxus artist Hans Sohm to reproduce them in dental plastic. Following a request for a multiple from a gallerist in Berlin, Hamilton used commercial manufacturers to produce a small edition of the piece. In 1980 Hamilton produced a television commercial for The critic laughs for the BBC series on art since 1880, The Shock of the New.

Events of 1980back to top

Current affairs

Margaret Thatcher makes one of her most famous speeches, living up to her nickname of 'the Iron Lady'. The speech was given to the Conservative Party conference in Brighton in response to the media speculation that the party would go back on its counter-inflationary policies: 'The lady's not for turning!'

Art and science

John Lennon is murdered on the steps of his house. After fatally shooting him, Mark David Chapman calmly sat down on the pavement and waited to be arrested by police. Chapman had a history of mental illness and claimed that he had committed the murder as a way of getting attention.

International

Iraq invades Iran, beginning eight years of conflict. The invasion followed years of border disputes, but was precipitated by the 1979 revolution in Iran and the resulting instability which Saddam Hussein saw as an opportunity to expand Iraqi influence in the region. Despite early gains for Iraq, the conflict soon descended into a war of attrition with huge causalities caused by Iraq's use of chemical weapons.

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