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Salvidor Dali. Early Life. Lived 1904-1989 From Spain Painting skills influenced by the Renaissance masters Created films, sculpture, photography, paintings Had a “love of everything that is gilded and excessive, my passion for luxury” Liked to partake in unusual and grandiose behavior
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Early Life • Lived 1904-1989 • From Spain • Painting skills influenced by the Renaissance masters • Created films, sculpture, photography, paintings • Had a “love of everything that is gilded and excessive, my passion for luxury” • Liked to partake in unusual and grandiose behavior • Sometimes got more attention than his work • Irritated his critics and people who held his work in high esteem
Family • Family • Middle class • Father = strict lawyer • Mother – encouraged arts • Brother died before he was born – brought to his grave • Had a sister, 3 years younger Portrait of My Father, 1921 1920
Attended drawing school in 1916 • Discovered modern art • His father had an exhibition of his drawings in their home • Mother died of breast cancer • when he was 16 • Father married Dali’s mom’s sister Study for a Self-Portrait, 1920
Studied at the School of Fine Arts in Madrid • Wore long hair, sideburns, coat, stockings, knee breeches like a 19th century Englishman • Experimented with different styles of art (cubism, dada) Self Portrait with the Neck of Raphael, 1920-21
Mastered painting skills – realistic work • Basket of Bread • Expelled from the Academy in 1926 – accused of starting an unrest • Travelled to Paris • Met Picasso • Influenced by classical Renaissance artists mixed with modern styles • Grew a long mustache – influenced by 17th Century Spanish painter Diego Velazquez
Bad relationship with his father • romance with Gala • connection to surrealism artists – bad for his morals • Posted in the newspaper of Dali’s work – mocked Christ • Demand that Dali recant publicly - refused – thrown out of his home and disinherited (1929) • Bought a small cabin by the sea • Lived with Gala • Married in 1934 • Exhibit in America - 1934 • New York • “Dali Bali” – wore a glass case on his chest with a bra in it • Later at a party he & friend dressed up at the Lindbergh baby & his kidnapper – bad press – apologized – criticized by surrealist group in Paris for apologizing
Met Sigmund Freud and friends with CoCo Chanel (1938) • Breton (a surreal artist) named him “Avida Dollars” (1939) • Phonetic rendering of French meaning “eager for dollars” – commercialization of his work • Wanted fame and fortune • Some surreal artists spoke of him in past tense – as if he were dead
WWII • 1936 London International Surrealists Exhibition • Gave a lecture • Wore a diving suit and helmet and brought 2 dogs • “I just wanted to show that I was plunging deelply into the human mind” • Most surreal artists became associated with leftist politics • Dali took no position and was accused by Breton of supporting Hitler – but refused to denounce fascism • Surreal artists put him on “trial” and formally denounced him (1934) • Reply “I myself am surrealism”
Moved to America with Gala (1940) • Returned to Catholicism • “Surrealism will at least have served to give experimental proof that total sterility and attempts at automatizations have gone too far and have led to a totalitarian system” • Had an exorcism performed on himself by a priest
Later in his career experimented with different media and processes • Holography • Optical illusions • Influenced Andy Warhol and Pop Art • Interest in natural science and mathematics
Post WWII • “Nuclear Mysticism” Period • Inspired by the shock of Hiroshima and the “Atomic Age” • Combine Christian iconography with images of material disintegration inspired by nuclear physics • Died of heart failure • Age 84 • Buried at the Dali Theater and Museum (in Spain)
Famous Works • The Persistence of Memory • 1931 • 51 cm x 40.5 cm • Best known work • After entertaining guests, Dalí sat at the table looking upon the soft, half melted cheese • Influence = • Freud - dream analysis • Einstein = time is relative and not rigid.
Crucifixion • Year: 1954 • Dimensions: 194.5x124 cm • from Salvador Dalí's scientific period - an unfolded hypercube upon which Jesus is crucified • Gala = The woman in the picture • The light in the background = Port Lligat, where Salvador Dalí used to live.
Lobster Telephone • 1936
The Elephants • 1948 • Inspired by Bernini’s statue