Heinz Hajek-Halke

This large-format monograph is the first extensive review of the work of Heinz Hajek-Halke, an unrecognized pioneer of early twentieth-century experimental photography. Hajek-Halke surmounted the purely documentary nature of the medium in the turbulent 1920s to develop a variety of aesthetically challenging photo-manipulation and montage techniques. He used these methods not only in excellent compositions made for their own sake, but also in commissioned advertising work, which can now be understood as innovative forerunners of today's altered photography and web design. Artist, Anarchist encompasses all the creative phases of Hajek-Halke's career--his nude photography, his photo-montages, picture stories, the images of small animals with which he kept his nose down during the war, and his late abstract Lichtgrafiken, or light graphics. Reproductions of his vintage prints and an abundance of other material, including photo collages, magazine advertisements, dust jackets for books and graphic designs make this a rich introduction and a valuable reference.