Artist
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Salvador Dali was born on the 11 May, 1904 in Catalonia, Spain, and died
on the 23rdJanuary, 1989.
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His mother died when he was 16 which had a profound effect on him.
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In 1922, Dali moved to Madrid to study at the school of fine arts.
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He was a prominent Spanish Catalan surrealist painter in the Surrealist
movement with an eccentric nature.This made Dali the most prominent
representative of the Surrealist movement and the most recognised artists in
the world.
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He was also the first artist to hold a solo exhibition in Barcelona.
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While Dai’s artistic output is enormous, he is most often associated
with images of melting clocks
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In 1931, he painted the Persistence of Memory, his most famous work.
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Imagination partly exists in dreams. This is shown in The Persistence
of Memory through the melting cheese idea represented by the melting
watches. There are many theories of the melting clocks. On Dali’s death
bed, scientists approached him and asked him if it had something to do with Einstein’s
theory of relativity. Dai said no and that it is based of Camembert cheese
melting in the sun.
Audience (impact)
One of Salvador Dali’s recognizable works, The Persistence of Memory became
frequently referenced in popular culture and therefore was widely recognized.
When The Persistence of Memory was painted the impact it had on the
audience is different to its response now. At the time it was painted his
paintings were criticised because Surrealists identified with leftist politics.
However, Dali thought that art could be apolitical. There are many
different interpretations of the painting, some of these include:
· Feminist
· Marxism
· New Historicism
· Deconstruction
World (influences)
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Sigmund Freud was Dali’s hero and one of his influences. Freud was a
neurologist who became influential in the field of psychoanalysis.
Psychoanalysis is the treatment in which a patient talks about their thoughts,
dreams and fantasies so the doctor can figure out their symptoms. In 1938 Dali
met Freud and sketched his portrait.
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A dream is defined as a series of thoughts, images, and sensations
occurring in a person's mind during sleep. Freud’s analysis of dreams as
wish-fulfilments helped him to analyse symptom formation as well as elaborate
his theory that a person’s unconscious can
shape their conscious state of mind.
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Andre Breton was a French writer and poet. However is well-known as the
founder of Surrealism. Breton was influential to Dali as he was the leading
Surrealist at the time but they differed in terms of their political beliefs.
Breton also wrote the first manifesto on Surrealism. In his manifesto he states
that dreams are important as a reservoir of Surrealist inspiration.
Practice
How:
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Dali made paintings, usually using oil on canvas, prints, sculptures,
films, photographs, jewellery and was a designer.
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He uses many big brush strokes and bold hand movements.
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Dali’s preferred painting method is the Paranoiac critical method. This
method deals with the interpretation of unconscious thoughts and feelings into
increasingly elaborate visual illusions.
When:
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From around 1920 up until his death
Where:
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Dali created his works everywhere. He even created some in public. He
was a performer and took part in performance pieces that were despised by
critics.
Why:
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He was inspired by realism
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He was inspired by surrealism
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He was a supporter of Dadaism
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Because of his political views
Artworks
Artwork 1 – ‘The Persistence of Memory’,1931, oil on canvas
Figure 1http://karmajello.com/culture/art/salvador-dali-art-compilation-photo-gallery-video.html
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‘The Persistence of Memory’ is Dali’s most recognizable works.
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Since 1934, it has been in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art in
New York City. It was received from an anonymous donor.
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The image of the soft melting pocket watch exemplifies Dali’s theory of
“softness” and “hardness”. In Dali’s time, this theory was central to his
thinking.
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In his painting, ”the soft watches are an unconscious symbol of the
relativity of time and space, a Surrealist meditation on the collapse of our
notions of a fixed cosmic order" (Ades, Dawn. Dalí. Thames and Hudson,
1982).
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The human figure in the middle of the composition appears ambiguous as
it is obscure. However, it is a strange monster. This “monster” was used in
several of Dali’s contemporary pieces to represent him - the abstract form of
becoming something of a self-portrait, appearing frequently in his work.
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The focal point the viewer is immediately drawn to is the animal figure
in the mid ground. Its unusual appearance makes it significant. The background
features an arid landscape of cliffs whereas in the foreground, melting clocks
can be seen.
Artwork 2 – ‘Swans Reflecting Elephants’, 1937, oil on canvas
Figure 2: http://www.dali.com/blog/swans-reflecting-elephants-is-one-of-those-dali-paintings-everybody-loves/
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The double images used in this painting were a major part of Dalí's
"paranoia-critical method”. Dalí used this "paranoia-critical method”
to bring forth the hallucinatory forms, double images and visual illusions that
appeared frequently amongst his work during the Thirties.
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The three swans in front of leafless trees are reflected in the lake so
that the swans' necks become the elephants' trunks and the trees become the
legs of the elephants.
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In the background of the painting is a Catalonian landscape portrayed in
fiery autumn colours.
In contrast to the stillness of the water, the brushwork creates swirls
in the cliffs that surround the lake.
