Tag: collages

Hurray, The Butter is Finished, 1935 (reference to Herman Goering's statement, "Iron ore has always made an empire strong, butter and lard have at most made people fat.")

The Akron Art Museum's current exhibition John Heartfield vs. Nazi Germany includes over 40 socially conscious photogravures by one of the most brilliant and outspoken artists of the 20th century.

Born in Germany in 1891 as Helmut Herzfeld, he changed his name to protest WW I.  As the Weimar Republic took hold of the country, Heartfield's collages became highly critical of Hitler and the Third Reich.  Ultimately his work was banned during the height of the Nazi regime, only to be rediscovered in the late 50s.  He died in 1968.

Look closely at the dates on these photogravures.  These works are from the mid-1930s, and are concrete proof that Hitler's atrocities were no secret and no surprise.  They are a reminder to turn to artists and not corporate news channels to *see* the world as it really is.

A Place in the Sun, 1935 (Mussolini, "I want to provide my people with a place in the sun!")

The Teaching of the Wolves, 1935

BTW, the Akron Art Museum is one of only three museums in the US to possess substantial holdings of Heartfield’s art. This is the first time they have all been on display. The exhibition runs until November 30, 2008. Click here for more information.

P.S. Heartfield's work is also a stark reminder of the dire consequences of what happens to an administration and a country that puts guns before butter.

Related links:

The images above are courtesy of George Eastman House, International Museum of Photography and Film
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HEARTFIELD: Towson University's collaborative website site with MFA student Kate Chisholm who produced and directed a musical about John Heartfield's life and work in 2000.

The book Heartfield Versus Hitler by John Willett is available here.