Hitler is unique in the world in that he is both almost universally regarded as the worst human being in written history, but also serves as a kind of buffoonish pop-culture supervillain. Between the snazzy outfits, distinctive mustache, and the fact that his entire reign over Germany resembled a plot by Cobra Commander he remains a popular figure of our society's psyche.
And he's a constant subject of art. Today we'll look at the crafty people on Etsy that have put paint to canvass or whatever in order to filter Hitler through the eyes of modern art.
Rocks Off Pissed Grave: Let's Pee On American Hitler
First we have Kevin Keeton with a little parody fun. The classic Jaws poster has obviously been altered to read, "Jews," and Hitler's small boat looks like it's moments away from receive a big bite of Karma... or whatever the Chosen People's equivalent of that is.
V. Canavarro of Portugal is the man behind this black and white oil work. It's Hitler dressed as a priest, though he bears a swastika rather than a crucifix. It's a haunting work, one of those paintings that follow you with its eyes wherever you go, but does strike some chords about the nature of blind faith and the role of the occult in the Third Reich.
Our friend Megan here has made something truly remarkable in this piece of pop art. The traditional swastika is represented by Hitler himself saluting, and the cyclical nature of the piece calls to mind the circular logic of the oppression used by the Nazis. Hitler boldly leads no one anywhere. Brilliant stuff.
Cherry Martini says this acrylic painting is an abstract representation of Hitler being haunted by a demon telling him to do terrible things. Personally, I think she just drew a picture of Edgar Allen Poe and decided it would be funnier if he had a Hitler mustache. Good use of color, though, especially how the background suggests a blazing inferno.Flashback The Top 5 Video Game Hitlers (sNSFW)
Sophia Rapata calls this "Hitler Baby & Black Baby." I just call it, "Aaarrrggghhh!" If you have this in your home it's probably only to cover the bloodstains on the wallpaper.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and John Moriarty can prove it. There's a whole movie that plays out in your head just looking at our grizzled American badass lead Mistress Helga away as the Fuhrer impotently screams in rage. I bet this is what it looks like in Rob Zombie's head.
Reesa Faris made a Kitler painting. It needs no commentary. It just is. Like love and the sun and high-fives.
Hitler art from Tel Aviv? You know something cool's about to happen. This hard plastic sculpture by Costa Magarakis comes with little information other than it's not suitable for children. Thanks Captain Obvious! It does show off Hitler's little known obsession with Disney cartoons, though. No, really. He owned a private copy of Snow White back before doing that was even a thing.
This picture by Wednesday Wolf is for my money the absolute best bang for your buck as far as Hitler-inspired works of art go. Not only do you get all the conventional unease that having a portrait of history's greatest monster in your house brings, but he also rocks an absolutely stunning set of bongos. Hang this over your bed and just wait for the ghost of Stanley Kubrik to come make a movie of your sex life.
Christopher Genovese is an interesting cat. He's offering this really incredible line of Obama busts, but each one is meant to represent him through the eyes of various media portrayals. You've got him as Joker, from the famous Hope poster, and the ever-popular view of him as Hitler as our final selection. His pieces are evenly balanced between the negative and the positive, and if you have around $15,000 to drop you would end up with one hell of a set of mantle ornaments.
Jef With One F is a recovering rock star taking it one day at a time. You can read about his adventures in The Bible Spelled Backwards or connect with him on Facebook.
