John heartfield book covers

Returning to germany in 1950, john heartfield designed stage sets, working for bertold brecht and other directors. Odd just a collection of hands on the covers of books and pamphlets. Essay by wieland herzfelde translated by eva bergoffen. The john heartfield galleries will soon feature comprehensive collections of his dada, book cover graphic design, antifascist art, antiwar art, art against the third reich, and theatre set design. Laughter is a devastating weapon david king on the famed german photomontage artist by jeff lusanne 28 december 2015 laughter is a devastating weapon tate publishing, october. Nov 23, 2012 andres mario zervigons john heartfield and the agitated image. This press, run by his brother wieland herzfelde, aimed to make leftist books on social issues inexpensively available to the german public.

Heartfield also collaborated with other antifascist artists, such as george grosz, especially in creating collages in the early postwar years. Whether you get all judgy about book covers or not, the vintage dust. All other translations from german provided by nancy reynolds. John heartfield peter pachnicke, klaus honnef, john heartfield on amazon. Photomontages of the nazi period by john heartfield. Some of his most famous photomontages were antinazi and antifascist statements. Heartfield effectively uses a montaged image of a tsunamisize wave and a skyscraper in the form of a single photograph across the front and back covers. Boing boing uses cookies and analytics trackers, and is.

His posters and book covers for the malikverlag and magazine covers for the arbeiterillustriertezeitung aiz are essential components of the political iconography of the weimar republic as well as of anti. Heartfield was the first to use photomontage to tell a story from the front cover of the book to the back cover. Many were published by malikverlag, the publishing house that was a joint venture of john and his brother, wieland herzfelde wieland herzfeld. His father was franz herzfeld, a writer, and his mother was alice nee stolzenburg, a textile worker. John heartfield, the original culture jammer dangerous minds. The stark black and white collage work meshed well with my punk aesthetic tastes at the time, and many bits and pieces of heartfield were showing up on record covers, discharges never again being one of the most highprofile examples. Heartfields formative training in advertising and experiences with dada theatricality provided him with the visual tools to affect and. This was the standard style for many of the sinclair books.

What our book covers reveal about us eye on design. Heartfield, whose work appeared on book jackets and posters, savaged the political thuggery behind. Cover designs by leading designers of the day including john heartfield 14 covers, paul neu, george. Professor zervigons book shines with the type of research that informs the reader of the passion the author has for his subject. Heartfields book jacket design for upton sinclairs book after the great flood. The first extensive american exhibition of the work of john heartfield. Andres mario zervigons john heartfield and the agitated image. Photomontages presents some of the most powerful political art of the modern era. A novel from the year 2000 1925 visualizes a great wave swallowing a city. John heartfield book covers is an expanding collection of the book dust covers heartfield created for his publishing house malikverlag and others.

Of course, there is so much more to his life and work than you could cover in this brief article. Only recently has john heartfield s work been studied on its own terms, as progressive graphic design. Book graphics heartfield pioneering graphic design and typography for authors such as upton sinclair and kurt tucholsky. John heartfield peter pachnicke, klaus honnef, john heartfield on. John heartfield was born with the name helmut franz josef herzfeld, on june 19, 1891, in berlin, germany.

Collection of 84 weimar era book jackets from 192632. His innovative covers told a story from the front cover of the book to the back. He recognized fascism early on, and at age 18, as a response to german nationalism after wwi, he changed his name from helmut herzfeld to the anglicized john heartfield. Im the curator of the official john heartfield exhibition. Heartfield personifies germany in the cover image of the book. Since many of the authors were little known or foreign, the dust cover was important in attracting attention. Germanys golden age of book cover design print magazine. Sometime in the early 1990s i was introduced to the photomontages of john heartfield. John heartfield biography infos for sellers and buyers.

John heartfield and the agitated image andres mario. Revolutionary beauty the radical photomontages of john. John heartfield and the agitated image offers a compelling reconstruction, based on new archival research, of the slow but steady trajectory of john heartfield, george grosz, and wieland herzfelde toward dada, photomontage, and critical publishing in the weimar republic. Heartfields collage is a searing visual attack on germanys corrupt social democratic party spd. Heartfield used photomontage extensively in his innovative book dust jackets for the berlin publishing house malikverlag. Photomontage became heartfields specific artistic weapon. One of heartfields longest engagements entailed designing book covers for malik verlag. In some instances we see censored and uncensored versions of book covers. With heartfield as the books center, andres mario zervigon.

Antifascist art john heartfield s powerful antifascist art masterpieces. See more ideas about photomontage, dadaism art and dada art. John heartfield and the dawn of photomontage retroavangarda. In 1916, outraged by antibritish sentiment and the nationalistic slogan gott strafe england may god punish england, he anglicises his name. John heartfield and george grosz are responsible for the publishing houses artistic profile. In 1917, with his brother weiland, he founds the publishing house, malikverlag, for whom he will produce numerous book covers. With gripping imagery and trenchant humour, the artist fought against war and fascism, using works whose explosive power has lost none of its impact today.

These photomontages were used for the book covers of the malikverlag and other progressive publishing houses. Many customers bought malikverlag books without intending to read them. Photomontages of the nazi period, by john heartfield. They designed an identity, ten covers and several print for the new book. Heartfield also became known for his strikingly original book jackets, which he designed for his brothers publishing firm, malikverlag, for works by such authors as upton sinclair, john dos passos, and ilya ehrenburg. This book sets the famous magazine covers against heartfields pristine, unlettered original collages, preserved in the berlin and london archives. Heartfield also had his work published in reynolds news, inside nazi germany and as book jackets or covers, especially for the publisher lindsay drummond ltd 19439. Heartfield s formative training in advertising and experiences with dada theatricality provided him with the visual tools to affect and persuade viewers to action and critical thinking. The first extensive american exhibition of the work of john heartfield, a member of the berlin dadaists who is known as the inventor of photomontage, john heartfield. Im john heartfields paternal grandson, john j heartfield. Heartfield also created book jackets for book authors, such as upton sinclair, as well as stage sets for contemporary playwrights, such as bertolt brecht and erwin piscator. Dec 26, 20 heartfield designed book covers for upton sinclair and many other authors and also designed stage sets for bertolt brecht. One of heartfield s longest engagements entailed designing book covers for malik verlag. Thank you for helping to increase my grandfathers recognition and renown.

Kurt tucholsky authored the book germany, germany above all, and heartfield designed its cover in 1929. Heartfield also created book jackets for book authors, such as upton sinclair, as well as stage sets for. Typography and lettering on book jackets and covers. Art and mass media by kahn, douglas and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. The exhibition explores the range of heartfields achievements and provides a substantive view of the artist. In 1918, he joins the german communist party and the berlin club dada. John heartfield book cover dada art, graphic design collection. It was observed that many books were purchased simply because of heartfields covers, not for the books content. They design the iconic book covers, advertising materials and all other malik products. Laughter is a devastating weapon and finds it an excellent visual resource. John heartfield 18911968 was one of the most important and innovative political satirical artists to use his work to oppose fascism. Laughter is a devastating weapon david king and ernst. Heartfield s book jacket design for upton sinclairs book after the great flood.

Nov 01, 2010 sometime in the early 1990s i was introduced to the photomontages of john heartfield. John heartfield biography john heartfield on artnet. The political photomontages and collaged book covers of john heartfield 18911968 have their origins in berlin dada. Heartfield designed book covers for upton sinclair and many other authors and also designed stage sets for bertolt brecht. Posts about book covers written by gareth branwyn, andrea james, and ben marks.

This picture book trenchantly criticized rightwing nationalism, the military, the democratic system, and capitalism. Jf ptak science books quick post daily dose from dr. John heartfields descendants have been equally gracious. Dec 18, 2018 john heartfield 18911968 was one of the most important and innovative political satirical artists to use his work to oppose fascism. His grandsons john heartfield and bob sondermeijer generously offered blanket publication permission for this tomes heartfield images. John heartfield, and hannah hoch were unusually adept in their innovative use of collage and montage to make ironic comments on a range of political and social issues in german society. John heartfield, antinazi artist arts, artists, artwork. John heartfield the wolfsonianfiu, miami beach fl september 21, 2007 february 10, 2008 illustration omitted although compact, there was something electric in this sampling of john heartfield s work, maybe even untimelymaking it a good antidote for our time of endless regressions. With vitriolic wit, heartfield 18911968, like his friend george grosz, unmasked materialism, bourgeois pretensions and the abuse of power in germany in the late 1920s. The back cover of this edition and the 1924 edition is simply a photo of a klan. A growing portfolio compilation of john heartfields helmut herzfeld art for book covers. The book cover in the weimar republic is based upon an earlier edition holstein selfpublished a decade ago, and that has since become a rare collectible, selling. John heartfield was a german visual artist who pioneered the use of art as a political weapon.

Photography, persuasion, and the rise of avantgarde photomontage is precisely such a book. Heartfield s collage is a searing visual attack on germanys corrupt social democratic party spd. His photomontages and book covers based on collages which had their origins in berlins dada scene were directed against fascism and made him. He placed images on the front and back of the jackets to instantly convey the books content. John heartfield june 1891 26 april is the anglicized name of the german photomontage artist helmut herzfeld. A member of berlins shortlived dada group and a pioneer of photomontage, german artist john heartfield born helmut herzfeld broke with dada to espouse a higly politicized art. He recognized fascism early on, and at age 18, as a response to german nationalism after wwi, he changed his. As with his antinationalist protest, heartfields connection to the names sinclair and brecht indicates much about his artistic and political sensibility. John heartfield the wolfsonianfiu, miami beach fl september 21, 2007 february 10, 2008 illustration omitted although compact, there was something electric in this sampling of john heartfields work, maybe even untimelymaking it a. John, moreover, has traveled numerous times to rutgers, where, together, we have sifted through the many. A comprehensive gallery of john heartfield political book art for malikverlag publishing. Discover interesting facts about john heartfield on artnet. Heartfields 19301938 photo montages for the aiz are the most clear powerful warnings of the rise of fascism.