First monograph, texts: H. C. Artmann, Botho Strauss, Wolfgang Bauer and Barbara Frischmuth.

Berween 1981 and 1985 Helnwein works on a series of photographic self-portraits - often in connection with performances, and sometimes including his children.
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Begin of the friendship with Austrian poet H.C. Artmann.
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Austrian poet and playwright Wolfgang Bauer writes the ballad "Song for Helnwein - Boulevard of Broken Dreams".
Begin of the friendship with Wolfgang Bauer ...

1979 One-man show with pen-and-ink drawings in the Albertina Museum, Vienna.

November 12, Helnwein's daughter Mercedes Xenia is born.
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"Life not Worth Living".
Spurred into action by an interview in the Austrian newspaper "Kurier" in which the country's top court psychiatrist, Dr Heinrich Gross, admits killing children at Vienna's "Am Spiegelgrund" Pediatric Unit during the war by poisoning their food, Helnwein paints "Life not Worth Living" - a watercolour of a little girl "asleep" on the table, her head in her plate. The painting gets published in Austrias leading newsmagazine Profil and sparkes a nationwide debate that finally leads to Gross' appearing before a Vienna court . The judge rules Gross is mentally unfit to be tried. ...

Aktion in the International Year of the Child.
R. Höpfinger and E. Regnier hand out sweets and toys bearing Helnwein pictures of wounded children to passers-by in Zürich. ...

1977 Helnwein travels through the United States for several months.

April 5, Helnwein's son Cyril is born.
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Beginning of his relationship with Renate Kurrer, whom he marries 1982.

More pen-and-ink drawings.
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1976 Aktion "Allzeit Bereit" (Ever Ready) at the Naschmarkt, Vienna.
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Aktion "St. Stephn" with Robert Schoeller in Vienna.
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Aktion "Cafe Alt Wien".
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1975 -1985 Helnwein works on a series of pen-and-ink drawings.
"Unser Entenbischof" (Our Duck-Bishop),
"Zwei amerikanische Ärzte behelligen eine Patientin" (Two American Doctors teasing a Patient),
"Mulattin Erika in ihrem Haus" (Mulato-girl Erika in her House),"Das Wannenwunder von Watras" (The Bathtub Wonder of Watras),
"Metallippe zum Lächeln" (Metal Lip for Smiling),
"Das Grubenunglück" (Mine Disaster),
"Korrekturspange" (Corrective Brace),
"Assistent Assmann" (Assistant Assmann),
"Hilfe für Mann ohne Kinn" (Help for Man with no Chin). ...

Gottfried and Ilse Helnwein get divorced.

1974 Theodor Körner Prize.

ZDF (German national TV) film portrait "Helnweins Sehtest" (Helnwein's Eye Test), directed by Heinz Dieckmann.
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"Weisse Kinder" (White Children) Aktion with 15 bandaged children in Kärntnerstrasse, in the centre of Vienna.
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