Cover for Dimitroff Pamphlet (Dimitroff Contra Göring) 1934

This is John Heartfield’s photomontage, a cover for the Dimitroff Pamphlet. It looks like it was made by cutting and pasting different photographs, combining them to construct a new reality. It's all about juxtaposition and recontextualization, a process of making new meaning out of found materials. The texture of this image is raw. You can see the seams, the places where the photos were pieced together. It's not trying to hide its construction, instead it flaunts it. This technique creates a sort of visual tension, making the viewer aware of the artificiality of the image, but also prompting reflection. Like the strands of hair above his head which look like rogue elements escaped from a dark room. It reminds me of some of Hannah Hoch’s photomontages. Both artists have a real facility for using collage to make complex political statements. Ultimately, both artists invite us to question the images we consume and the narratives they construct. The world is not a single story but an assortment of perspectives.