For many designers and illustrators, the German visual satirist
John Heartfield (with scissors in hand above) is a
hero. Born Helmut Herzfeld in 1891, he anglicized his name to protest German involvement in World War I and went on to invent the political photomontage. He was also co-founder of the publishing house
Malik Verlag with brother Wieland Herzfeld and
George Grosz. But aside from a
few books, only one film,
John Heartfield Fotomonteur (1977), was ever made about him and it was shown only once in the U.S. in 1982 at New York's Film Forum. Tonight,
Ovation TV offers up a documentary on Heartfield and his impact on visual commentary. The program airs at 8 and 11pm and again tomorrow, August 22, at 2am.
For those who cannot catch the show, check out the archive of his AIZ covers at
George Eastman House or other satirical and Dada images at
Art History Timelines.