The Proletarian Dream Socialism, Culture, and Emotion in Germany 1863-1933

influential 1929Film undFotoexhibition in Stuttgart openedwith an entire sec-
tion devoted to Heartfieldthat displayedFive Fingersunder the above-mentioned
motto of“BenützeFoto alsWaffe”(see figure17.4). Andtwo years after that,the
poster was exhibited in the Pushkin MuseuminMoscow,amid works by George
Groszand others, but now underabanner declaring,“Glory to the Soviet Union.
Glory to the Dictatorship of the Proletariat.”⁸Giventhe various political and ar-
tistic contexts in whichFive Fingersappeared duringthe Weimaryears, its arrival
in the Soviet Union at the height of Stalinism cannot be seen as anything but a
logical extension of its originating emotional and political impulses.

Fig..John Heartfield,self-portrait,
photograph, Akademie der KünsteArchiv, Ber-
lin.CopyrightThe HeartfieldCommunity
of Heirs/Artists Rights Society(ARS), New
York/VGBild-Kunst Bonn.

Fig..Film und FotoExhibition in

Stuttgart, John Heartfield exhibit“BenützeFoto

als Waffe! Usephotography asaweapon!”AIZ

.():.This includes hisself-

portrait withPoliceCommissionerZörgiebel.

Akademie der Künste Archiv,Berlin.

Confirmingthis point,ontwo occasions in the 1920s, Heartfield used his
own handsto establish thegestus of photomontage as one of emphatic appeal
as well as violent assault.Both self-portraitscorroborate Andrés Mario Zervigón’s

My thanks to Mark Smith for the translation fromthe Russian.

John Heartfield’sProductiveRage 307