The artwork titled “Whoever reads bourgeois newspapers becomes blind and deaf: away with the stultifying bandages!” was created by John Heartfield in 1930. This piece is part of the Dada art movement and falls under the genre of design. It can currently be found in the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, California. The artwork was originally published in the ninth volume, sixth issue of the Arbeiter-Illustrierte Zeitung (AIZ).
The artwork depicts a figure whose head is entirely wrapped in newspapers, specifically those associated with bourgeois perspectives. This imagery conveys a powerful critique of the mainstream media of the time, suggesting that consumption of such media renders individuals blind and deaf to the truth. The printed words and the overall composition are designed to illustrate the stultifying effects of bourgeois newspapers on the public’s awareness and understanding of reality, aligning with the Dada movement’s ethos of challenging established norms and provoking critical thought.
