Disabled Soldiers Depicted by Otto Dix

Abstract

World War I, which was one of the worst conflicts of all time, was based on racism, classism, extremist religious ideas, as well as militarisation, and greed for power. With the defeat of Germany, there were many disabled soldiers and displaced and dead people in that society. In spite of the extent to which the contemporary military context is depicted through art, it is notable that disabled soldiers and retired people are not depicted. Using a sensory art language, Otto Dix can be seen using prosthetic arms and legs as the body parts of disabled soldiers in his creations. Dix captures that space through his street studies of Wammer, Germany, depicting disabled soldiers and displaced pensioners through design. The main purpose of this research is to explore how technological tools were used in the designs of Otto Dix. Design studies, literature sources, and internet sources were used as research methods. The crisis atmosphere of the post-war period, heroism, and loss are filed in the work through nostalgia. It can feature disabled heroes with artificial bodies created through industrialisation and technological innovations. Otto Dix, a soldier and painter who had first-hand experience in that warlike space, depicted his own experiences and practices in expressive imagery. The social environment of the time, the economic nature and the depiction of disabled soldiers are clearly depicted to the audience in his works. This research suggests how the memory of the lives and physical objects destroyed by the war in Germany is reproduced through his works.