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paigeworrall's review against another edition
3.0
It's really good for people who want to start learning about influential painters but have no idea where to start. Taschen are brillian for this!
daracool's review against another edition
2.75
Dali as a person and his paintings might not be my thing but man his other project speak to me
avalinda's review against another edition
5.0
Sometimes I find it funny that art should be arranged into movements, since it's a form that should fundamentally defy classification, with any attempt at doing so seeming rather pretentious; but our natural tendency toward order and categorization prevents us from accepting this. I suppose, however, that the term surrealism gives some voice to the creativity and strangeness of Dali's artistic abilities (though in a great illustration of the arbitrary nature of any art movement, he was himself "expelled" from the Surrealists).
I'm no art critic nor do I know how to write about art, so the best I can give here is my point of view. Dali's paintings by their very provocativeness and defiance of (and later homage to) natural laws of physics, as well as modern aesthetics, are endlessly fascinating to unpack and analyze. He both acknowledges the standards that people bring to art appraisal, while making the point that such standards are subjective and perhaps should not exist in the first place; he has a similar view on whether art should or should not "make sense." Had he allowed himself to be locked down by such restrictions, which always fluctuate based on the time period, the world would have been deprived of so much fearless, scandalous creative power. So, even though I don't necessarily like the subject matter of some of his works, I can respect the tenacity, openness and multifaceted nature of the mind behind their creation. A point of view that I wish the so-called Surrealists of his time could have shared - you can't exactly call yourself a "revolutionary" movement if you're easily offended by those who dare to break the mold.
A few other unexpected discoveries I made from this book:
(1) His mastery of the trompe l'oeil technique is absurdly good. My only prior memory of his art being The Persistence of Memory, I was stunned by how well he could create optical illusions in his paintings, with the seemingly effortless placement of a few properly shaped objects, or through the combination of a multitude of tiny components like in Gala Placidia. It's amazing to consider how he came up with such a concept, let alone how he executed it so flawlessly.
(2) Dali is at least as good of a writer as he is a painter, if not better. As writing is also a form of art, it must have been another great avenue for him to express his views on life, religion/mysticism, etc. Although not everything he's written has been autobiographical, the few excerpts I read from The Secret Life of Salvador Dali and Diary of a Genius ranged from sharp-witted to poetic to philosophical, and sometimes all three, which again illustrates the brilliance of the mind behind the art.
(3) Unlike other artists, Dali has provided background/interpretation on some of his works, which on one level gives us an easy understanding of his more confusing (and/or scandalous) paintings, but on the other makes me wonder how he ever managed to perceive and incorporate so much symbolism into his art. The soft watches in The Persistence of Memory came from an image of melting Camembert and how people are slaves to their rigid timepieces. He depicts drawers and cupboards opening out of bodies as a representation of Freud's psychoanalytic theories. Eggs are a common motif, a symbol of a "pre-natal" world; and his wife Gala is a recurring image in his work, taking on a religious significance in some instances. Later, discoveries on the nature of the atom heavily influence his subject matter as well. In short, it's amazing to me how one man could so artistically combine the inner and outer universe of his existence.
Thanks to this book, I can now extend my list of Dali favorites to include the following paintings:
- The Persistence of Memory
- The Disintegration of the Persistence of Memory
- Eggs on the Plate (without the Plate)
- Archaeological Reminiscence of Millet's "Angelus"
- A Couple with their Heads Full of Clouds
- Metamorphosis of Narcissus
- "Geopoliticus" Child Watching the Birth of the New Man
- Soft Self-Portrait with Grilled Bacon
- Gala Placidia
- Nuclear Cross
- Exploding Raphaelesque Head
And now I'm on my way to watch "An Andalusian Dog", which I'm sure will weird me out given what I've heard of it, but sometimes it takes a little weird to make you appreciate your normal everyday existence - and to give a little shock to your creativity.
I'm no art critic nor do I know how to write about art, so the best I can give here is my point of view. Dali's paintings by their very provocativeness and defiance of (and later homage to) natural laws of physics, as well as modern aesthetics, are endlessly fascinating to unpack and analyze. He both acknowledges the standards that people bring to art appraisal, while making the point that such standards are subjective and perhaps should not exist in the first place; he has a similar view on whether art should or should not "make sense." Had he allowed himself to be locked down by such restrictions, which always fluctuate based on the time period, the world would have been deprived of so much fearless, scandalous creative power. So, even though I don't necessarily like the subject matter of some of his works, I can respect the tenacity, openness and multifaceted nature of the mind behind their creation. A point of view that I wish the so-called Surrealists of his time could have shared - you can't exactly call yourself a "revolutionary" movement if you're easily offended by those who dare to break the mold.
A few other unexpected discoveries I made from this book:
(1) His mastery of the trompe l'oeil technique is absurdly good. My only prior memory of his art being The Persistence of Memory, I was stunned by how well he could create optical illusions in his paintings, with the seemingly effortless placement of a few properly shaped objects, or through the combination of a multitude of tiny components like in Gala Placidia. It's amazing to consider how he came up with such a concept, let alone how he executed it so flawlessly.
(2) Dali is at least as good of a writer as he is a painter, if not better. As writing is also a form of art, it must have been another great avenue for him to express his views on life, religion/mysticism, etc. Although not everything he's written has been autobiographical, the few excerpts I read from The Secret Life of Salvador Dali and Diary of a Genius ranged from sharp-witted to poetic to philosophical, and sometimes all three, which again illustrates the brilliance of the mind behind the art.
(3) Unlike other artists, Dali has provided background/interpretation on some of his works, which on one level gives us an easy understanding of his more confusing (and/or scandalous) paintings, but on the other makes me wonder how he ever managed to perceive and incorporate so much symbolism into his art. The soft watches in The Persistence of Memory came from an image of melting Camembert and how people are slaves to their rigid timepieces. He depicts drawers and cupboards opening out of bodies as a representation of Freud's psychoanalytic theories. Eggs are a common motif, a symbol of a "pre-natal" world; and his wife Gala is a recurring image in his work, taking on a religious significance in some instances. Later, discoveries on the nature of the atom heavily influence his subject matter as well. In short, it's amazing to me how one man could so artistically combine the inner and outer universe of his existence.
Thanks to this book, I can now extend my list of Dali favorites to include the following paintings:
- The Persistence of Memory
- The Disintegration of the Persistence of Memory
- Eggs on the Plate (without the Plate)
- Archaeological Reminiscence of Millet's "Angelus"
- A Couple with their Heads Full of Clouds
- Metamorphosis of Narcissus
- "Geopoliticus" Child Watching the Birth of the New Man
- Soft Self-Portrait with Grilled Bacon
- Gala Placidia
- Nuclear Cross
- Exploding Raphaelesque Head
And now I'm on my way to watch "An Andalusian Dog", which I'm sure will weird me out given what I've heard of it, but sometimes it takes a little weird to make you appreciate your normal everyday existence - and to give a little shock to your creativity.
tomurin's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.5
I liked the way Dali was described and you got to look at the pictures with some small descriptions. The only thing I didn't like was that the texts were apart in different pages with a lot of pictures within them and you the start midsentence on the next page where you could have to reread what was said before
irma_sincera's review against another edition
informative
fast-paced
4.0
Silpniausiai iš šios serijos (iš to ką skaičiau) suredaguota ir sumaketuota knyga. Iliustracijos padrikokai sudėtos, ne tik, kad kelis puslapius reik vartyti norint rasti tą, apie kurią rašoma, bet kartais ir kelis dešimtis puslapių. Tekste irgi trūko chronologijos ir labai daug pridėta Dali citatų ir išraukų iš jo paties knygų, tarsi užkamšyti vietą tekste.
Man teko lankytis Dali muziejuje, jo gimtajame Figuerese. Paliko tikrai ryškų įspūdį ir labai rekomenduoju, jei būsite Gironoje, skirti laiko ir nuvažiuoti į jį. Man pačiai būtų dabar daug naudingiau ten apsilankyti jau perskaičius knygą, nes su jo kūriniais, kartais nežinai nuo kurio galo pradėti analizuoti.
Knyga tikrai netiks pirmai pažinčiai su autoriumi, tačiau man visumoje susiskaitė įdomiai.
Man teko lankytis Dali muziejuje, jo gimtajame Figuerese. Paliko tikrai ryškų įspūdį ir labai rekomenduoju, jei būsite Gironoje, skirti laiko ir nuvažiuoti į jį. Man pačiai būtų dabar daug naudingiau ten apsilankyti jau perskaičius knygą, nes su jo kūriniais, kartais nežinai nuo kurio galo pradėti analizuoti.
Knyga tikrai netiks pirmai pažinčiai su autoriumi, tačiau man visumoje susiskaitė įdomiai.
blueyorkie's review against another edition
5.0
Salvador Dali was a prominent Spanish surrealist painter born in Figueres, Catalonia, on 11 May 1904. Dali's father was strict in the education of his children, unlike the mother. Dali had a brother named Salvador who was born nine months before him and died of gastroenteritis. When he was five, Dalí was taken to his brother's grave and was told that he was his brother's reincarnation.
Early age
At an early age, Salvador Dali's parents encouraged him to produce highly sophisticated drawings and were sent to drawing school in Figueres, Spain, in 1916.
In February 1921, Dalí's mother died of breast cancer. Dalí was 16 years old; he later said his mother's death was the greatest blow he had experienced in his life. After her death, Dalí's father married his deceased wife's sister. Dalí did not resent this marriage because he had a great love and respect for his aunt.
The development of his own style
In 1922, Dalí moved to Madrid and studied at the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando where he already drew attention as an eccentric and dandy. He was influenced by several different artistic styles, including Metaphysics and Cubism. Dalí was expelled from the Academy in 1926, shortly before his final exams when he was accused of starting an unrest.
Later, Dali visited Paris, where he met Pablo Picasso, whom he revered. Picasso had already heard favourable reports about Dalí from Joan Miró, a fellow Catalan who introduced him to many Surrealist friends. As he developed his own style over the next few years, Dalí did several works heavily influenced by Picasso and Miró.
Marriage to Gala
In August 1929, Dalí met his lifelong and primary muse, inspiration, and future wife Gala. She was a Russian immigrant ten years his senior. They married in 1934. In addition to inspiring many artworks throughout her life, Gala would act as Dalí's business manager.
Dali's work
Dalí was a skilled draftsman, best known for the striking and bizarre images in his surrealist work. His painterly skills are often attributed to the influence of Renaissance masters. His best-known work, The Persistence of Memory, was completed in August 1931. Dalí's expansive artistic repertoire included film, sculpture, and photography, in collaboration with a range of artists in a variety of media.
Arab lineage
Dalí attributed his "love of everything gilded and excessive, my passion for luxury and my love of oriental clothes" to an "Arab lineage", claiming that his ancestors were descended from the Moors.
Eccentric manner
Dalí was highly imaginative, and also enjoyed indulging in unusual and grandiose behaviour. His eccentric manner and attention-grabbing public actions sometimes drew more attention than his artwork, to the dismay of those who held his work in high esteem, and to the irritation of his critics.
Death
In 1980 at age 76, Dalí's health took a catastrophic turn. His right hand trembled terribly, with Parkinson-like symptoms. His near-senile wife allegedly had been dosing him with a dangerous cocktail of unprescribed medicine that damaged his nervous system, thus causing an untimely end to his artistic capacity.
His wife Gala died on 10 June 1982, at the age of 87. After Gala's death, Dalí lost much of his will to live. On the morning of 23 January 1989, while his favourite record of Tristan and Isolde played, Dalí died of heart failure at Figueres at the age of 84.
Source: https://www.myenglishpages.com/site_php_files/reading-salvador-dali-biography.php
Early age
At an early age, Salvador Dali's parents encouraged him to produce highly sophisticated drawings and were sent to drawing school in Figueres, Spain, in 1916.
In February 1921, Dalí's mother died of breast cancer. Dalí was 16 years old; he later said his mother's death was the greatest blow he had experienced in his life. After her death, Dalí's father married his deceased wife's sister. Dalí did not resent this marriage because he had a great love and respect for his aunt.
The development of his own style
In 1922, Dalí moved to Madrid and studied at the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando where he already drew attention as an eccentric and dandy. He was influenced by several different artistic styles, including Metaphysics and Cubism. Dalí was expelled from the Academy in 1926, shortly before his final exams when he was accused of starting an unrest.
Later, Dali visited Paris, where he met Pablo Picasso, whom he revered. Picasso had already heard favourable reports about Dalí from Joan Miró, a fellow Catalan who introduced him to many Surrealist friends. As he developed his own style over the next few years, Dalí did several works heavily influenced by Picasso and Miró.
Marriage to Gala
In August 1929, Dalí met his lifelong and primary muse, inspiration, and future wife Gala. She was a Russian immigrant ten years his senior. They married in 1934. In addition to inspiring many artworks throughout her life, Gala would act as Dalí's business manager.
Dali's work
Dalí was a skilled draftsman, best known for the striking and bizarre images in his surrealist work. His painterly skills are often attributed to the influence of Renaissance masters. His best-known work, The Persistence of Memory, was completed in August 1931. Dalí's expansive artistic repertoire included film, sculpture, and photography, in collaboration with a range of artists in a variety of media.
Arab lineage
Dalí attributed his "love of everything gilded and excessive, my passion for luxury and my love of oriental clothes" to an "Arab lineage", claiming that his ancestors were descended from the Moors.
Eccentric manner
Dalí was highly imaginative, and also enjoyed indulging in unusual and grandiose behaviour. His eccentric manner and attention-grabbing public actions sometimes drew more attention than his artwork, to the dismay of those who held his work in high esteem, and to the irritation of his critics.
Death
In 1980 at age 76, Dalí's health took a catastrophic turn. His right hand trembled terribly, with Parkinson-like symptoms. His near-senile wife allegedly had been dosing him with a dangerous cocktail of unprescribed medicine that damaged his nervous system, thus causing an untimely end to his artistic capacity.
His wife Gala died on 10 June 1982, at the age of 87. After Gala's death, Dalí lost much of his will to live. On the morning of 23 January 1989, while his favourite record of Tristan and Isolde played, Dalí died of heart failure at Figueres at the age of 84.
Source: https://www.myenglishpages.com/site_php_files/reading-salvador-dali-biography.php
misterstevenuniverse's review
5.0
Got it to see all of his work and read blurbs on certain paintings. He was and still is my favorite artist. All the history behind some paintings is glorious. I don't think there has ever been a sassy artist like this jerk. Also, he broke up with a woman once just to see her cry and make a painting about the emotion. 12/10 artist of the year all years
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