Heartfield Exhibition Curator Message From His Grandson John J Heartfield

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The John Heartfield Exhibition

by John J Heartfield, Exhibition Curator

I’m John J Heartfield, the paternal grandson of the German Dada and Modern Political Art Master John Heartfield. The vacations I was able to spend with my grandfather in Europe were some of the happiest memories of my childhood. He was my hero and inspiration. Whenever I need courage, I think of my grandfather.
 
I’m the director of eCurtain Media LLC. To learn more about my credentials, please visit About The Curator.
 
After John Heartfield passed away in 1968, his possessions and almost all his surviving art became the property of the Heartfield Archiv, East German Akademie Der Künste (Heartfield Archive, East German Academy of Art). My grandfather’s art remains inside the Heartfield Archiv, conserved and hidden away from the outside world as if his montages, sketches, designs, theatrical models, and sets were relics rather than living relevant masterpieces of political, Dada, and theatrical art. My grandfather literally risked his life repeatedly to reach the largest audience to counteract the propaganda lies of fascism, ignorance, bigotry, racism, and hatred.
 
In 2014, Dr. Walter Trautwein, Direktor des Archivs, Akademie der Künste, categorically refused my request for photographs of my grandfather’s art even though I am a representative who controls copyrights to my grandfather’s work. If my grandfather knew his art was kept from the public in this manner, he’d tear down the walls to free it. In November 2016, I visited Berlin at the invitation of the new Archivdirektor, Werner Heegevaldt. This time, I was offered only 15 photographs or scans provided I signed a document not to share them on the Internet! I’m currently working on a public and legal campaign to expose and end this injustice.
 
Major museums such as The Metropolitan Museum of Art (NYC), The Museum Of Modern Art (NYC), and The Getty Museum (Los Angeles), and The Tate Modern, London have always wanted to prominently display John Heartfield’s original art. Currently, the only piece of art displayed in MOMA that has anything to do with John Heartfield is George Grosz’s The Engineer Heartfield.
 
To understand more about the years I attempted, without success, to increase my grandfather’s recognition and renown, please refer to this expanding section of the Exhibition: John Heartfield – The Hidden Genius
 
After years of fruitless requests to the John Heartfield Archiv, Akademie Der Künste in Germany, I decided it was necessary to devote the vast majority of my professional life to making John Heartfield’s art and life story available to the world via the Internet. I appreciated the many websites that mentioned my grandfather’s art. However, no website came even close to displaying even a small portion of his influential artistic legacy. Most didn’t touch upon his groundbreaking work with typography, graphic design, and theatrical design.
 
My grandfather would have loved the World Wide Web. It has been widely documented that John Heartfield’s goal was to have his art reproduced and distributed in as many popular mediums as possible.
 
In 2008, I began designing and programming the original John Heartfield, Dada Photomonteur: Official Internet Archive. It was a labor of love. My wife, Michelle, and I provided all the funding. I had to use all the skills I had acquired during my long career as a professor, programmer, designer, and consultant in digital media.
 
I decided not to accept funding from outside sources because I wanted to be able to present my grandfather’s work in the manner I knew he would have wanted. He taught me that, as much as possible, artistic choices should be made independently.
 
However, I didn’t have the resources to completely display my grandfather’s work and the work of other courageous progressive artists. I needed support from exhibition visitors. They let me know they wanted to own posters and other items featuring his art.
 
In 2015, I opened The John Heartfield Exhibition Shop to provide exhibition visitors with the finest quality items featuring photo quality art. The Shop is just like any other museum shop. Soon it will feature other great artists.
 
I continue to expand The John Heartfield Exhibition & Archive. In addition to his artwork, I’ll share more never-before-published material from The John J Heartfield Collection, my personal collection of John Heartfield ephemera and art.
 
Many thanks for the invaluable positive feedback the exhibition has received from visitors and art scholars.
 
I’ve recently added a new feature. Visitors can write directly to me to share their reactions to pieces of political art. These reactions from visitors will be posted in the Reactions From Exhibition Visitors section.
 
With the help of visitors and supporters, I’ll expand John Heartfield Exhibition to be an Online Museum of Progressive Art, a place to display art by artists with integrity and courage. I’ve begun by featuring art in Current Exhibits->Reveal Art section of the exhibition.
 
I know my grandfather would love that vision. He taught me that bigotry and violence grow are the result of ignorance. As you view his art, you’ll realize how relevant it remains in today’s politics.
 
Write To The Curator. I’m always happy to hear from you. Please visit often to view this ever-changing exhibition.
 
Cheers,
 
John J Heartfield

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The curator wishes to express his appreciation to Rutgers University’s Erik Thuno of the Department of Art History for his assistance in providing interns to assist with the Exhibition.

Intern Vasiliki (Vicki) Maragoudakis deserves a special note of appreciation for her dependable, cheerful, and extremely valuable assistance scanning, organizing, and transcribing material.

Intern Samira Paydar was most helpful researching and reporting on material on the web.

The Official John Heartfield Exhibition is hosted by EarthPlaza, the Internet’s finest hosting company.

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