The Art of Propaganda vs DaDa

John Heartfield, Photomontage  “I have millions behind me”

In the late 1970’s I worked on an exhibit of John Heartfield’s Photomontages produced for the anti-Nazi publication AIZ at the Akron Art Museum, in Akron Ohio. This was a time when Heartfield was little known in America. AIZ the magazine faded into history after the war. Heartfield however remained connected to the DADA movement http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dadaism . Museum Director John Coplans had curated the exhibit as part of his on going program to bring art of conscience to Akron. John was a powerful influence on my development as an artist and the work he curated was even more powerful. When we got our first look at Heartfield’s work we were breathless. The sepia toned photomontages were a powerful statement of the role art played in the war against Fascism.  But what really struck me as an odd parallel was the power of propaganda. The United States had just undergone the Nixon years and barely survived Vietnam. I was heavily involved in politics since blood had been split on the ground where I lived in Ohio to quell protests against the war. I began to study political science along with art. Working in a museum I was able to look closely at Heartfield’s art, art that mattered. Heartfield exposed the Nazi propaganda machine as a self serving tool used by men of little conscience except for their lust for power and money. They the Nazi’s wanted to control the world, not for some ideological purpose but for their own lust. Germany had been severely punished for World War I and had been required to pay damages to the countries it victimized during the war. With the world facing a global depression in the 1930s, Germany was in a fiscal crisis. German industrialists were isolated and the prospect of making profits in the European and world markets were slim. Along came Adolph Hitler to rally the German populist to its feet and restore Germany to its greatness. Hitler it was said was a failed artist who while in jail penned the masterpiece (Mien Kampf, he actually dictated it to Rudolph Hess while pacing around his prison cell in 1923-24 and later at an inn at Berchtesgaden.) that would become the political corner stone of Fascist propaganda. Hitler a failed artist, I think not. He was one of the most successful advertising executives in history. Had he not been such a bad boy he would be touted as such today. Hitler successfully mixed Ideological mythology, Aryan brotherhood, nights in shinning armor, righteous in their quest to recapture what was due them, the world. Corporate greed was their sword. It was the German industrialist who backed the party. The world would be theirs for the taking. Of course it turned out to be a hostile take over. The only problem was a large number of opposition party controlled the money. They where educated and morally objected to Hitler’s policies. Many of course were the Jews. So perfect was the plan so perfect was the ad campaign,they would become enemy number one, they were the threat. History we know. The Nazi’s controlled the media, not through force at first, their party membership owned it! And they used it to sequester any and all opposition. Soon Germany had only one voice all other were silenced to a whisper.

Today’s parallel between the NAZI propaganda machine is in the structure of current political propaganda, Ad Campaigns and the corporate media. The Nazi’s had the Jews. The Conservatives have the Liberals. The Nazi’s created enemy’s, most of Europe and its colony’s. The Conservatives have Terrorist, Iraq and most of the non friendlies in the Middle East and of course Liberals. The Nazi’s had the Ideological philosophies of the Righteous Knighthood bestowed upon them by right of birth in the first world. Hence the Aryan Brotherhood of which only birthright insured your membership. The Conservatives have Ideological philosophies of the Righteous Democracy known as the moral authority of the religious right mandated by the 2004 election.

From coast to coast FEAR has become the driving force in American Politics. Fear has so much so centralized political policy that 911 has become a focal point of conservative propaganda. The event on that September morning was horrific beyond question sending our nation into shock. Shock turned to anger and anger to vulnerability. How could this tragedy happen in America? Our current political leadership rushed to answer that question, “It is liberalism”. The War on Terror might as well be coined the War on Liberalism.  The Current Administration is using fear to control the population through our vulnerability to actions largely beyond our control. We are to believe that we need to be protected! Suddenly we needed a department of Home Land Security, a variety of new laws, including Patriot Acts I and II. Forget funding for local Police and Fire Departments or Health Care. And then of course we needed to attack the Terrorist where they live, so we invaded Afghanistan. Then it was on to Iraq, because of Saddam Hussein’s Weapons of Mass Destruction. Iraq was an immediate threat to our security and freedom. They the Iraqi’s had tons of Chemical and Biological weapon’s and maybe even the Bomb. Well we went; we conquered and were all safe. When we didn’t find any weapons of Mass Destruction and the current administration was questioned about the absence of WMD in Iraq, we were told 911. Was Iraq involved in the 911 attack? When the current administration could not produce any proof of Iraqi involvement in the September attacks they told us 911. When the Current administration introduced the Patriot Acts to protect us against terrorism and were questioned about the loss of personal rights to privacy and infringement of personal freedom, they answered 911. Our foreign policy is simply to introduce democracy where ever it is of economic interest to the current administration; the plan is titled the Bush Doctrine. It was penned largely by Paul Wolfowitz ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bush_Doctrine )back in the early 1990’s , I wonder if he just dictated it to Carl Rove, it was rejected by Poppa Bush.  It was reintroduced by the current administration post 911. Simply stated the Bush Doctrine advocates the expansion of democracy where ever it serves the interest of the United States;and that direct and unilateral action was both possible and justified and that America should embrace the opportunities for democracy and security offered by its position as sole remaining superpower. David Eubank Digitalmontage 2004 When questioned about these economic and military policies the current administration answered 911. Are there threats that we must pay attention too? Yes, there is real danger. The danger is our fear. Fear itself can and has undermined the very freedoms we all want to preserve. We need to look beyond the sound bite, beyond the commentary of the popular corporate mouth pieces and seek the real truth. And if we find that we don’t like the truth, then we need to correct our course. We as a free people must advocate for many voices to be heard. Not just a singular corporate media dominated by self serving propagandists. John Heartfield risked his life to publish his magazine covers for AIZ. He exposed the misguided principles of a nation gone mad a nation that eventually self destructed. Perhaps we have now come to another time where America needs to resurrect the Art of Conscience. Perhaps we have become a Corpernation. Something Stinks, digitalmontage 2004 by David Eubank

Filed under: Art, On Art, Photography, Politics, Uncategorized , Adolf Hitler, art history, Conservativism, DADA, German Art, Hate Politic's, John Heartfield, Liberalism, Modern Art, Nazi, Nazi Propaganda, News Media, Photomontage, Propaganda, War on Terror, WWII