I paint honestly - Dali

There is a desert and a crater named after him! Nothing unusual for a showman whose facial expression and moustache made him an icon for surrealism. An imposing presence with his long cape, walking stick, haughty expression, and upturned waxed moustache, he said "every morning upon awakening, I experience a supreme pleasure: that of being Salvador Dalí!”.

Dali(1904 – 1989) was a prominent Spanish artist, a skilled draftsman known for the distinct and unusual images in his paintings. His extensive body of work included film, sculpture, and photography, quite often in collaboration with different types of artists in a variety of media. A visionary creative, he indulged in flamboyant behaviour. His eccentric manner and attention-seeking actions sometimes drew more attention than his artwork.

His mother encouraged him. His father organised an exhibition of his charcoal drawings in their home. He had his first public exhibition at the municipal theatre, where he exhibited again many years later.

He attended the art school in Madrid, Spain during which he received appreciation for his paintings in which he experimented with cubism. There were no cubist artists in Madrid at the time and his knowledge of it had come only from magazines and catalogues. He illustrated a book and experimented with  Dadaism, an art movement in Europe which influenced his work throughout his life.

Dalí held his first two major solos exhibition in Barcelona. At the time Dalí was not painting in the Surrealist style for which he would later become famous.

He left the Academy just before his final exams. His realistic paintings were proof of his mastery. He visited Paris and met Picasso, whom he adored. As he developed his own style, Dalí made a number of works strongly influenced by Picasso. He was influenced by many styles of art, ranging from the academically classic to the modern. Gala his wife was his lifelong and primary muse. He used different methods to access the subconscious for greater artistic creativity.

In 1931, Dalí painted one of his most famous works ‘The Persistence of Memory’ which had an image of soft, melting pocket watches. the general interpretation is that ‘Time is not rigid’.

Dalí had a patron who introduced him into the art world by purchasing many works and by supporting him financially.

In 1938, Dalí met Sigmund Freud and did a sketch! The the same year he was invited by to the French Riviera Where he did numerous paintings.

In 1940, Dalí moved to the United States. Here Dalí became a prolific writer and worked in a variety of media, designing jewellery, clothes, furniture, stage sets for plays and ballet, and store display windows.

In 1942, He drafted a film scenario called Moon tide.

Late in his career Dalí explored many unusual media and processes. Many of his late works incorporated optical illusions and negative space. He was among the first artists to employ holography in an artistic manner. A versatile artist, he was an important influence on pop art.

Dalí also developed a keen interest in natural science and mathematics. In several of his paintings, he used rhinoceros horn shapes ,elephants, eggs, ants, snails and locusts. He had a glass floor installed in a room and made extensive use of it to study foreshortening, both from above and from below, incorporating dramatic perspectives of figures and objects into his paintings. He experimented with graphic arts, producing many etchings and lithographs.

He published his autobiographies, 'The Secret Life of Salvador Dalí' and ‘The World of Salvador Dalí’. He wrote a novel ‘Hidden Faces’, about a fashion salon for automobiles. His sister, published a book, ‘Dalí as Seen by His Sister’ .

Dalí filmed a humorous television advertisement for chocolates and a publicity campaign ("If you got it, flaunt it!") for an Airlines. He designed the Chupa Chups logo. Dalí worked with filmmakers like Alfred Hitchcock and Walt Disney.

"I am painting pictures which make me die for joy,” he said.

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Published in Colour Canvas in April 2019