The Critic Laughs Multiple Poster by Richard Hamilton (Davison Art Center, Wesleyan, 1973)

The influence of Richard Hamilton (1922-2011) on the development of British arts and culture is both vast and exhilarating. This poster of 'The critic laughs' was produced by the Petersburg Press in 1973 to promote an exhibition at the Davison Art Center, Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut, USA. It's  striking, thought provoking and absolutely perfect for anyone who's been suffering at the hands of the critics.

'The Critic Laughs' originated from an assemblage that Hamilton made in 1968 after his son had given him a comically oversized set of teeth cast in sugar, which Hamilton promptly mounted onto the neck of his Braun electric toothbrush (he was a great admirer of Braun design director Dieter Rams.)  The resulting image relates to many strands of Hamilton's work and thought, including his investigations into the language of design and consumer culture.  

Tate says that, as the title suggests, what's at stake here is less a criticism of consumerism and more a jibe "at the unseeing critic offering a worthless guarantee for art." When Hamilton made the work, he was immediately reminded of Jasper Johns’s The Critic Smiles (1959) and  The Critic Sees (1961), which prompted the naming of his own work. MoMA and Tate hold editions of The critic laughs in their collections. 

Approximate dimensions: 16 x 23 in; 42 x 59.5 cm

This archive poster is now collectable and in short supply.  Given its age the condition is very, very good.It is printed on quite thin, shiny paper. Our stock is sold as new, ie it has not been pre-owned. Please hang away from direct sunlight to prevent fading. All our posters are sent out rolled in tubes.