John Heartfield undoubtedly had a dynamic life, but much of that was self-induced. I see the man as an admiral person because of his often courageous acts against the status quo, the dominant political scheme, and the conventions to which most people conformed. For the times in which he lived, I consider Heartfield a free spirit, so to speak. He changed his name, for one. (On another note on his name, I wonder why it took so long for people to legitimately recognize him as John Heartfield -- it would have been interesting to find out if he was ever bothered by the fact that in the public eye he was Helmut Herzfield, a person he no longer was.)
It seems like Heartfield believed in something greater than what was handed to him and the people of the world. This may have been the driving force in his art. Away with the conventional, fine art, because it does not represent what people’s lives are truly like. Photographs, on the other hand, capture life from the most trivial moments to the most special occasions, and creating montages out of them (in my opinion) bring out the idea that life is an unorganized, chaotic mess. In reality, we deceive ourselves by acting as though there is order in our world and the daily paths we walk on. If that is what Heartfield truly felt in his heart, then I truly admire him for his beliefs and the art he brought to the world.
The above image is said to be by Ivain Puig Rhysisterix. It is obvious in what it is depicting, a car sinking in a pond or a lake, but what it truly means, I am not sure. I can say, however, that it caught my eye immediately for its glossy, white physical appearance. Maybe some of you can help me figure it out -- I actually would be interested in knowing your thoughts on this ambiguous piece.
~ Gina Marroquin
Hey Gina! My first thought was of the car sinking in some body of water, too.. I wonder if the artist wanted the audience to feel this strange physical contradiction of a car that (in our minds) is half-sunk, and the fact that we're not standing on water but solid ground? Like what is solid, liquid, and how we conceptualize/visualize those terms, and what happens when those concepts are contradicted? No idea on the white theme, though, haha.
ReplyDeleteHmm... that photo is really interesting. I don't really know what the artist is trying to say, but I understand Annie's point that what the viewer would expect to be water is, in reality, solid ground. It is very unnerving. I will be thinking about this!
ReplyDeleteI love your idea about photomontages "bringing out the idea that life is an unorganized, chaotic mess." This had not came across my mind yet but reading your post totally makes sense. As for the picture, I love it! I had never seen anything like it. Don't exactly know what to think of it but I think we should notice the fact that the car and the floor is made of the same material. Maybe that is of some significance.
ReplyDelete