at the Neue Galerie
The Otto Dix show at the Neue Galerie is “the first solo museum exhibition of works by this major German artist ever held in North America” and it’s thrilling, disturbing, and inspiring to see, so make sure you stop by before August 30 when it comes down. A fascinating artist dealing with absurd and the realistic, Dix art, with wit and amazing imagery, covers both the horrors of World War I and the decadence of the Weimar culture. Both of it’s time and timeless, the paintings and etchings called to mind not only the writings of Christopher Isherwood, but more modern wits like Anthony Burgess, Charles Burns, Kurt Vonnegut and Francis Bacon as well as my favorite spot in the Met: the Flemish portraits.
The large colorful portraits are stunning, particularly his iconic glowing red study of Anita Berber, complete with razor sharp manicure, but the smaller etchings have equal impact. A great show by an artist many would be wise to become aware of if the name’s unfamiliar.
But what do you think?