Otto Dix and the New Objectivity

by Julia Bulk, James Van Dyke, Otto Dix (Artist)

-The Neue Sachlichkeit: I invented it.- Thus Otto Dix (1891-1969), looking back with characteristic directness, chose to rewrite the development of the art movement that can be considered the -third path - alongside Abstraction and Expressionism - taken by progressive artists in the modern era. Situated somewhere between the grotesque and the classical, Dix's harsh, unrelenting realism produced some of the most horrific depictions of the First World War, and some of the most critical portrayals of the Weimar Republic. Published to coincide with an exhibition at the Kunstmuseum in Stuttgart, Otto Dix and New Objectivity is the first publication to fully illuminate the Neue Sachlichkeit against the backdrop of the Weimar Republic and National Socialism.

The exhibition brings together around 120 works to investigate what characterizes the New Objectivity and how variously the term has been used and interpreted since the 1920s. Some of Dix's key works - including the -Metropolis- triptych (1928-29), the great psychological portraits and the landscapes with their hidden symbolism painted during the years Dix spent at Lake Constance - form the departure point for this exploration of his oeuvre. They are placed in context alongside the works of George Grosz, Franz Lenk, Werner Peiner, Franz Radziwill, Christian Schad, Rudolf Schlichter and Georg Scholz, creating a new perspective on this crucial chapter in German art history and illuminating these artists' various reactions to the National Socialist aesthetic and art policy.

Genres: Art, History

232 pages, Hardcover

First published March 18, 2013

Reviews

[Mir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I read this only a month or so ago, I forgot to review it then and find I've already forgotten most of the text; or rather, I can't remember what I learned from the book versus what I already knew from various other books and exhibits. (I do recall that I found the font and layout fairly pleasing as art books go.)

Dix is one of a number of artists, primarily 20th century, whom I like in an abstract sense but don't enjoy when exposed to his overall corpus. He is important and interesting, but often unpleasant to look at, and he produced large numbers of quite similar works. How many mutilated soldiers and fat frowsty whores does anyone need to paint? But that's my opinion of Dix, not this book per se, except in the sense that an entire book of Dix is a bit much for me.

If you feel differently, if you really enjoy Dix, why, then this is a book for you! If you're interested in the period more generally, I recommend The Total Artwork in Expressionism or New Objectivity. Either of those includes a treatment of Dix's importance as well as a wider context and range of artists.

[XenofoneX · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book provides a wider context for the work of Otto Dix, expanding the focus to include other well-known luminaries of the Neue Sachlichkeit like Max Beckmann, Christian Schad, and George Grosz. The various lesser known artists included in the many plates are often surprisingly good -- surprising because they so obviously deserve wider attention and monographs of their own.

Hatje Cantz always produce excellent books; their monographs use the highest quality materials, and they have a huge back-catalog of titles that are selected to appeal to a smaller, more discriminating audience. That said, this book is not their best; a large part of it is printed on mid-quality stock, but changes to a glossy art-book paper fro the reproductions. They've only started doing this sort of thing in the last year or two, on a small number of titles. Hopefully it'll stay that way.

Nevertheless, this is a great book, and the large number of excellent essays somewhat justifies the paper changes. For anyone interested in Otto Dix, other New Objectivity artists, or Weimar Republic cultural history, this is worth picking up.

[joseph m · Rating 5 out of 5]

...best Dix for your dollars.