I have to experience all the ghastly, bottomless depths for life for myself; it's for that reason that I went to war, and for that reason I volunteered.

In this quote, Otto Dix, a German painter and printmaker known for his depictions of the horrors of war, reflects on the deeply personal reasons behind his decision to participate in war. Dix emphasizes that his need to experience the "ghastly, bottomless depths" of life was a driving force behind his volunteering. He believed that in order to truly understand the complexities and suffering of life, one must confront its most extreme and brutal realities firsthand, even if those experiences were painful or terrifying.

Dix’s statement speaks to the notion of seeking personal experience as a way to gain a more profound understanding of human existence. His willingness to volunteer for war, despite its dangers and horrors, reveals a desire to engage with life in its most raw and unfiltered form. By seeking out the depths of human experience, Dix was aiming for a deeper, more authentic understanding of the world around him, even at the cost of his own safety and well-being.

The origin of this quote lies in Dix’s own experiences as a soldier during World War I, where he witnessed the extreme violence and devastation of warfare. His art, particularly his famous works like Der Krieg (The War), was heavily influenced by the trauma and suffering he witnessed during his service. The quote encapsulates his belief that such extreme experiences were necessary for creating meaningful art and understanding the human condition.

Ultimately, Dix’s quote underscores the tension between suffering and understanding—the idea that in order to grasp the full scope of life, one must be willing to face its most harrowing aspects. His willingness to volunteer for war, as grim as it may seem, reflects a commitment to fully experiencing the complexities of human existence, which he later translated into powerful works of art that captured the brutality and despair of war.