Dupont (Capitalist Snake) 1974

This photomontage, Dupont (Capitalist Snake), was made by Alexander Zhitomirsky. The artist collages the image of a snake's head onto a suited figure, its mouth ajar, teeth bared, and forked tongue exposed in a threatening gesture. It's really vivid and sinister. I can imagine Zhitomirsky carefully cutting and pasting, piecing together this critical commentary on corporate power. He was likely thinking about the ways in which capitalism can be seen as predatory. Juxtaposing the figure with an image of the Dupont factory looming in the background really drives home the message. It’s like he’s saying, ‘Here’s the beast, lurking in the shadows of industry.’ The work is a reminder that artists are always talking to each other across time. Zhitomirsky likely looked to his predecessors, from satirical printmakers to surrealist photographers, to find new ways to use imagery. Each generation builds on the last, remixing ideas and forging new connections.