John Heartfield Political Dada Video

John Heartfield, Fotomonteur, 1979

CONTENT: John Heartfield, Fotomonteur (Photomontage Artist) is an entertaining documentary on the life and art of John Heartfield: German Dada artist, photomontage pioneer, groundbreaking graphic designer, and influential theatre production designer.

Helmut Herbst, the director and screenwriter, was kind enough to allow the curator to present the first five minutes of Part 1 on YouTube. The curator especially enjoys the interesting narration and Mr. Herbst use of political and Dada video montage. It is not widely known that, as a young man, John Heartfield worked in film and was fascinated by film editing.

John Heartfield Documentaries

The exhibition features documentaries on Dada anti-fascist activist artist John Heartfield. Heartfield was much more than the founder of photo montage. an art form he used as a political weapon against Adolf Hitler and his allies. He was also one of the most important graphic designers of the twentieth century.

Heartfield constantly risked his life to expose the insanity of Hitler’s Third Reich. His anti-fascist anti-Nazi art made him number five on Hitler’s most-wanted life. He continued to produce stunning art against fascism and bigotry as he ran for his life throughout World War II.

More videos on John Heartfield’s art, Dada, and life story will be available here and on the John Heartfield Exhibition YouTube Channel.

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John Heartfield Art As A Weapon – Part One
View the fascinating story of a pacifist artist’s rise to number five on the Gestapo’s Most Wanted List told by his grandson, John J Heartfield. John Heartfield’s famous political art and influential graphic designs remain effective defenses against fascist propaganda.


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This Time (It’s Who We Are)
John Heartfield Famous Political Art Masterpieces set to an original song by his grandson, John J Heartfield.


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Winston Smith and John Heartfield Chat In London
Winston Smith, collage icon, and John J Heartfield, John Heartfield’s grandson, chat with Savage Pencil in London’s Orbital Comix. John briefly recounts stories about his grandfather.