The Hitlermobile
Jim Riswold
(1957-2024)
Portland, Oregon
The Hitlermobile, 2005
Color digital print on Hahneméhle photo rag 308
Riswold believed the best way to disarm a dictator was to make fun of him. He was shocked when he discovered that consumers can purchase model figures of Nazi criminals Adolph Hitler and Heinrich Himmler. Known for his fearless humor, Riswold made photographs in which he juxtaposes these disturbingly realistic characters with out-of-proportion children’s Play School toys – the wooden car and blackboard. His intention was to make the Nazis appear ridiculous rather than heroic. He may also intend to make viewers squirm as we examine our own values and understanding of history.
While undergoing treatment for leukemia, Riswold created these photographs in his home with the help of his young son. Because of illness, he was forced to take time off from his creative, conceptual job as an esteemed advertising director. Being away from the work he loved added psychological stress to the physical pain. While batttling cancer, this photography project to disempower Nazis gave Riswold’s life purpose and a source of acerbic humor. He later explained his process in an Esquire Magazine article and Ted Talks with the tongue-in-cheek title, “Hitler Saved My Life.”
Of this image, Riswold said, “Every evil dictator worth his salt has a sweet ride. Adolf Hitler was no exception. In 2009, a Russian gazillionaire bought Hitler’s ride, a bulletproof Mercedes-Benz 770K sedan, for $8.3 million. $8.3 million is a lot of money for a Hitlermobile. Have you driven a bulletproof Hitlermobile lately?”
Bio
Jim Riswold harpoons modern icons of the art world – Damien Hirst, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, etc. – while simultaneously biting the hand that feeds, producing work that is “beautifully sleek and distinctively commercial.” An award-winning creative director famous for his advertisements for Michael Jordan and Nike, Riswold was eulogized by colleagues and friends with these adjectives: irreverent, sarcastic, cynical, hard-working, and brilliant.