Melbourne’s politically orientated stencils uncannily share similarities with the photomontage oeuvre of the 20th century Dada artist, Helmut Herzfelde. An ardent communist and pioneer of the photomontage technique, Herzefelde is better known by the name he choose to spite the German masses’ disdain for the English, John Heartfield.
“My aim here is not to provide a conclusive survey of stencil art in this city or a study of Dada photomontage. Rather, this essay seeks to illuminate the technical and conceptual similarities between the politically orientated stencil prints in this city and the photomontages of John Heartfield. I will demonstrate that for political stencil artists and Heartfield alike, the photograph serves as the primal unit for the construction of their work.”
Although the stencil image is printed with spray paint, a study of the processes involved in the creation and application of these stencils exposes strong ties with both photomontage and general photographic conventions. An analysis of a selection of Melbourne’s politically orientated stencils contrasted with some Heartfield photomontages will illustrate that the connection between the works goes beyond the technical to the conceptual. The works exhibit a shared political agenda and forthrightness in attacking their respective power structures, modes of life and governmental leaders. The stencils discussed will be shown to re-mediate Heartfield’s photomontage technique, taking its product from journal cover to the public space in order to subvert today’s key public communication media; billboard advertising and other commercial and civic signage.
1 comment:
em your photos need to be reloaded there not showing up.your post will make more sense i love heartfields work particularly the one of the family eating dinner locks, tools files tec. i think its a comment on food nations and nazi occupation.
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