~OTTO DIX, Gloom & Doom . .


OTTO DIX, ‘Dr. Heinrich Stadelmann’, 1920. oil painting.
in the METROPOLITAN MUSEUM of ART exhibit: ‘GLOOM and DOOM: German Portraits from the 1920s’.
the exhibit ran: Nov 14, 2006 – Feb 19, 2007.
PHOTO: KATE CERIGO

German painter, OTTO DIX (1891-1969) was also cited as an influence on the young LILY RENEE.
according to the exhibition notes:
Dr. Stadelmann . . . “considered dada a kind of mental disease of society . . . worth studying.”

the other paintings of his in the exhibit – were beyond racy . . . beyond “erotic”, more like approaching porn. they were still shocking, even today. and esp in the Met. It was one of the most profound, explicit, and interesting historical exhibits I have ever seen in the Met. it made for a topnotch visual experience, as well as a curious encounter with pre-war, pre-Nazi art. decadence in a head-on collision with freedom of expression. and the perceived “degeneration” of society.

the comic book influence – is a no-brainer.


image courtesy: Metropolitan Museum of Art

read more on the exhibit: ‘GLOOM and DOOM’/Metropolitan Museum of Art

it’s worth noting that: “with more than 50 works by OTTO DIX . . . this (2006-07 exhibit) is the first major presentation of his work in the United States. (!!)