Photomontage as an art technique was initiated and developed by Dadaists in the interwar period. Back then, it proved to be the perfect tool for expressing rebellious moods and political critique. One of the first and at the same time most important artists using this technique was John Heartfield (1891–1968). He was German, his real name was Helmut Herzfeld. He provocatively changed his surname to an English-sounding one and through his art he strongly criticized the government in Germany. His works poke fun at politicians, showing them in absurd situations.

The artist used photos from official, governmental press and then published them with new meaning. Sometimes, he also took the photos himself, like for example for the “So macht Man Dollars” project. Heartfield’s photomontages have a harsh, provocative expression as befits the head Berlin Dadaist, but even the most controversial ones conceal a metaphor and force the viewer to give a deeper thought about the world he/she lives in.

The works are mostly black and white, austere, with sparse, simple typography, which is a complementary factor. They also have a touch of surrealism, strangeness which can be compared to Magritte’s tastes. Hand-crafting, with the use of simple tools such as scissors and glue, makes the montage far from ideal – it is very different from computer montages nowadays. But it is exactly this lack of idealism that establishes the character and good taste of Heartfield’s works. Besides, these days it is also a thing to stray from polished, photoshopped manipulations to manually crafted pieces or skillfully made intentional mistakes in digital graphic designs.

Heartfield’s photomontages are today an inspiration to many artists who use this technique. Some of his famous works appeared also on contemporary CD and book covers.