Reading Reflection - Photomontage

When starting my research on Photoshop, I wondered where I could learn about earliest history on the manipulation of photographs. All technologies have roots in the aspirations of past theorists, inventors, and early adapters, and the history of an object like Photoshop goes beyond when it was created. Thankfully, I was able to find the perfect introduction to the world of photo manipulation

Photomontage by Dawn Ades provides a detailed history of the artists who first embraced the concept of photomontage – the process and result of combining two or more photographs into a new image. Ades explores the motivations and practices developed by these artists, focusing on two early 20^th-century art movements. Dada was a European experimental art movement interested in breaking traditional aesthetics. Dadaists often described their work as “anti-art,” and created playful pieces that influenced the development of surrealism. Constructivism was a Russian artistic philosophy the rejected autonomous art and looked at how art can serve a social purpose. Constructivists where interested in industry and architecture, and many constructivist used their work to advocate political revolution. Both these groups were important developers in the art of photomontage.

John Heartfield The Spirit of Geneva 27 November 1932

Ades’ work forms not only an interesting narrative, but a thorough argument for the significance of photomontage compared to traditional visual art. First, photomontage is unique quite simply because it is constructed out of photographs. Art is often viewed in a more fantastical sense, offering a view of the world from an outside perspective with special materials. Photomontage is grounded in reality and industry instead of fantasy and art. Hannah Höch, an early, influential Dadaist, states “Our whole purpose was to integrate objects from the world of machines and industry in the world of art.” By juxtaposing real life images in their works, photomontage artists were able to create relatable and compelling statements on reality. Furthermore, photomontage is different from most art because it is meant to be reproduced. Constructivists were activists of how art can serve a social purpose to relate an idea to the public instead of hiding in a gallery for the elite, and Dadaists encouraged the reproduction of their work in magazines, posters, and flyers. Many of these artists and their followers went to work in political propaganda and advertising. Ades notes how the Dada artists John Heartfield “always insisted on having copies of the papers on show beside the original, to underline the fact that his works were political propaganda aimed at a wide public, not private, unique, unrepeatable works of art.”

This book made me realize how the creators of photomontage influenced the use of Photoshop. Like these artists, Photoshop is used largely to make pieces that will be shared with the public, whether it be through advertisement, journalism, activists, or people just playing around with images. The Internet has enhanced this vision by creating more opportunities to distribute art. Furthermore, modern photomontage through Photoshop often values the juxtaposition of relatable images to create both political and humorous statements. Our digital culture loves to use and reuse images from pop culture, politics, news, and all parts of life to relay perceptions of reality.

I highly recommend Photomontage for how it details the importance of photo manipulation in the past few centuries. I hope to bring back many ideas from the book when I cover digital culture and photoshop-related memes. Thanks for reading!

Bibliography:
Ades, D. (1986). Photomontage. London, UK; Thames & Hudson