Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Spotlight Avoidance

All art is exorcism. I paint dreams and visions too; the dreams and visions of my time. Painting is the effort to produce order; order in yourself. There is much chaos in me, much chaos in our time
- Otto Dix
Otto Dix, "Deadly Sins/aka - Seven Cardinal Sins" (1933)

After Adolf Hitler seized power in 1933, Dix was dismissed from his teaching job in Dresden. He then produced The Seven Deadly Sins, an oil-on-tempera painting in which, to disguise the politically critical nature of its themes, Dix took an allegorical turn. In this picture, he depicted Hitler in the role of Envy, riding on the back of Avarice. (The artist did not paint in Hitler’s famous moustache until after World War II)

3 comments:

  1. wow. All art IS exorcism...or should be. or can be.
    This painting is SO much like a dream. And yes, it's an effort to create some order. I don't think I've ever heard it stated so well!

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  2. I'm going to post a few photos that are a desperate attempt to express just how ODD the situation was that I found myself in last weekend. Another festival. :p I'm telling you, I think the Mad Hatter planned the event HIMSELF!

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  3. I look forward to a trip down the rabbit hole with you, then! :)

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