Otto Dix – The Evil Eye
Prestel Publishing
Ah, Weimar!
An intriguing period that specifically in the Rhineland region has spawned artistic conglomerates that revolutionised what art was thought to be. Having started out with producing straight forward portraits, evolving via flirts with Dadaism and Otto Dix has become a luminary spearhead
While Otto Dix’s oeuvre has had many exciting phases, The Evil Eye zeroes in on the monographic early years of his career in which he persevered to evolve from expressionism and Dadaist elements to what became known as “Neue Sachlichkeit” by portraying the features of his contemporaries channelled through his very own lens.
The Evil Eye covers both watercolours, drawings and etchings which seem to be focused on Dix’s experiences from the trenches from World War I, i.e. battle wounds and the mayhem of war, as well as artworks that shed light on his impressionistic side and the commissioned works, which are tamer by comparison yet still exhibit Dix’s flair for realism.
Needless to say that Dix is not limited to the aforementioned two ends of the spectrum but also explores cartoon-ish works and mixed media pieces, which serve to accentuate and give anatomic details a dimension of depth.
If you are remotely familiar with Otto Dix, you would not be surprised that taboo topics play a prominent role in how he surgically portrayed what he perceived to be the truth and essence of his time.
The fact that the tome includes watercolour painting that he did for his children or which alternatively alluded to biblical extracts, portray Dix as an artist with many facets and one with a point of view through which viewing the atrocities and aftermath of the first World War as well as what the Republic of Weimar had to offer, adds another dimension.
A book that is essential for both Dix aficionados as well as the uninitiated.
