John Heartfield

John Heartfield

John Heartfield (June 19, 1891April 26, 1968) is the anglicized name of the German photomontage artist Helmut Herzfeld. He chose to call himself "Heartfield" in 1916, to criticize the rabid nationalism and anti-British sentiment prevalent in Germany during World War I.

Career

In 1918 Heartfield began at the Berlin Dada scene, and the Communist Party of Germany. He was dismissed from the Reichswehr film service on account of his support for the strike that followed the assassination of Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg. With George Grosz, he founded "Die Pleite", a satirical magazine. After meeting Bertolt Brecht, who was to have a profound influence on his art, Heartfield developed photomontage into a form of political and artistic representation. He worked for two communist publications: the daily Die Rote Fahne and the weekly Arbeiter-Illustrierte-Zeitung (AIZ), the latter of which published the works for which Heartfield is best remembered. [Brigstocke, 2001, p. 334]

In 1933, after the National Socialists came to power in Germany, Heartfield relocated to Czechoslovakia, where he continued his photomontage work for the "AIZ" (which was published in exile); in 1938, fearing a German takeover of his host country, he left for England living in Hampstead. He settled in East Germany and Berlin after World War II, in 1954, and worked closely with theater directors such as Benno Besson and Wolfgang Langhoff at Berliner Ensemble and Deutsches Theater.

In 2005, Tate Britain held an exhibition of his photomontage pieces.

Works

His photomontages satirising Adolf Hitler and the Nazis often subverted Nazi symbols such as the swastika in order to undermine their propaganda message.

One of his more famous pieces, made in 1935 entitled "Hurrah, die Butter ist Alle!" ( _en. Hurray, The Butter is Finished!) was published on the frontpage of the "AIZ" in 1935. A parody of the aesthetics of propaganda, the photomontage shows a family at a kitchen table, where a nearby portrait of Hitler hangs and the wallpaper is emblazoned with swastikas. The family — mother, father, old woman, young man, baby, and dog — are attempting to eat pieces of metal, such as chains, bicycle handlebars, and rifles. Below, the title is written in large letters, in addition to a quote by Hermann Goering during food shortage. Translated, the quote reads: "Iron has always made a nation strong, butter and lard have only made the people fat".

Homages in modern culture

"Hurrah, die Butter ist Alle!" served as the inspiration behind the song "Metal Postcard (Mittageisen)" by Siouxsie & the Banshees; the song was re-recorded in German and released as a single with Heartfield's work as the cover art.

The band Blurt recorded a song called "Hurrah! Die Butter Ist Alle" on their 1986 album "Poppycock"

The Heartfield piece "The Hand has 5 Fingers" [fit.edu [http://my.fit.edu/~rosiene/1928heartfield.jpgJohn Heartfield - "The Hand has 5 Fingers"] image] with its original text: "5 fingers make a hand! With these 5 grab the enemy!", was referenced by alternative metal band System of a Down. A text printed on the back of the album "System of a Down" reads: "The hand has five fingers, capable and powerful, with the ability to destroy as well as create".

References

* Brigstocke, H. (2001). "The Oxford companion to Western art". Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0198662033
* Willett, John (1997). "Heartfield versus Hitler". Hazan (Fernand) Editions, France. ISBN 285025536X ;Foototes

External links

* [http://www.towson.edu/heartfield/artarchive.html Towson University] Heartfield's Online Art
* [http://www.brasscheck.com/heartfield/ Brasscheck] Heartfield versus Hitler
* [http://www.artfacts.net/index.php/pageType/artistInfo/artist/31039/lang/1 John Heartfield in Artfacts.Net]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • John Heartfield — en un sello. Nombre de nacimiento Helmut Herzfeld …   Wikipedia Español

  • John Heartfield — 15 Pf Sondermarke der DDR Post 1971 aus der Serie Berühmte Persönlichkeiten John Heartfield (* 19. Juni 1891 in Berlin Schmargendorf; † 26. April 1968 in Ost Berlin; eigentli …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • John Heartfield — Timbre à l effigie de John Heartfield …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Heartfield — John Heartfield (DDR Briefmarke) John Heartfield (* 19. Juni 1891 in Berlin Schmargendorf; † 26. April 1968 in Ost Berlin; eigentlich Helmut Herzfeld (fälschlicherweise wird manchmal Helmut Herzfelde angegeben)) war ein deutscher Maler, Graphiker …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Heartfield — John Heartfield Tombe de Heartfield au cimetière de Berlin. Helmut Herzfeld, dit John Heartfield. (Berlin Schmargendorf, 1891 Berlin, 1968) Artiste allemand, d abord peintre, puis photographe. Ses photomontages, dont il est le précurseur avec Geo …   Wikipédia en Français

  • HEARTFIELD, JOHN — (1891–1968), German photographer, graphic artist, and caricaturist; pioneer of artistic photomontage and collage. Born in Berlin as Helmut Herzfeld, he enrolled at the Munich Arts and Crafts School in 1908 and at the Berlin Arts and Crafts School …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • John (Vorname) — John ist ein Vorname. Er ist die englische und norddeutsche Version des Vornamens Johannes. Bekannte Namensträger John Barden (* 1951), irischer Folksänger und musiker John Berryman (1914–1972), US amerikanischer Dichter und Autor John von… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • HEARTFIELD (J.) — HEARTFIELD HELMUT HERZFELDE dit JOHN (1891 1968) Peintre allemand. Attiré très tôt par le marxisme, Heartfied, qui vit à Berlin depuis 1913, est influencé par George Grosz; celui ci l’introduit dans le groupe dadaïste en 1918. Avec… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Heartfield —   [ hɑːtfiːld], John, eigentlich Helmut Hẹrzfeld, Grafiker und Bühnenbildner, * Berlin 19. 6. 1891, ✝ Berlin (Ost) 26. 4. 1968; Bruder von W. Herzfelde; ab 1918 Mitglied der KPD, Mitbegründer der Berliner Dada Gruppe. Er setzte die Fotomontage… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Heartfield, John — born Helmut Herzfeld (1891 1968)    painter and pho tomonteur; best known for contributions to his brother s Communist leaning publishing firm, Malik Verlag. He was born in Berlin.* His father, the socialist poet Franz Herzfeld, was imprisoned in …   Historical dictionary of Weimar Republik

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”