Day 45
Today, I went to the Fine Arts Museum in Montreal to see an exhibit on some of Otto Dix’s paintings. Otto Dix is a German painter who lived during the first part of the 20th Century. His early work depicts the horrors he saw during World War I and upon his return from this traumatic experience. Wounded soldiers, raped women, prostitution, depravation, legless and disfigured veterans, abandoned children, death, were all amongst the topics evoked by the pieces of art that were exhibited.
His work disturbed me tremendously and I came back home questioning art and its purpose. Throughout the ages, art has served different objectives. It has been used to communicate messages to the illiterate, to preach Christian beliefs, as a propaganda tool, to represent reality, to give a subjective version of reality, etc.
Yet, from an amateur’s perspective, the most widely considered element remains aesthetics. When we look at a painting, we, non-specialists, primarily evaluate it in terms of the visual pleasure it provides. In the case of Otto Dix, one can definitely argue the beauty of the paintings. However, there is a message and from a historical viewpoint, a statement on horrors that took place during and after World War I.
Art can serve as a medium to depict a period in time, not with words, but with images. In that case, it is not the aesthetic aspect that is important, but rather the underlying historical message it holds.
For Otto Dix though, these works of arts probably helped him overcome the pain and suffering he had gone through during the war. He had the talent to visually express the demons that inhabited him through brush strokes and color. Art served as an emotional outlet.
Some people will write poetry, others will cry, some will compose music or simply write a diary. There is no good or bad way of expressing suffering; but finding an outlet and walking free of the burden of grief could definitely make a difference when it comes to the pursuit of happiness.
1 comment:
I saw the exhibit when it was in New York and I had the exact same reaction! The Otto Dix was on exhibit in a museum where they have a permanent collection of Klimt paintings - that are pure examples of 'l'art pour l'art'. I would look at a room of Dix, and then run and stare at the Kimt to cleanse my brain. I had the same contemplations as you and have been trying to convince others to visit the exhibit since then to continue the conversation. Great minds, cuz.
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