So where does Salvador Dali fit into the pantheon of Art?
Posted: Wednesday, July 22, 2009
by Russell Shortt
Exploring Ireland
Old Avida Dollars, his place in the artist's pantheon is not immediately evident, indeed there are some critics who maintain that he has no place at all. That analysis seems a tad harsh, but yet it does prevail, perhaps Dali's craving for stirring the waters gets in the way of what I believe is an undeniable contribution to the world of art. He was playing the populist celebrity card before there was a celebrity populist card, it worked, but it made the masses concentrate on the artist rather than the art. We now know in the present celebrity chock-full zoo, that no man can hold the public enthralled, they will eventually fail the illusion, eventually bore, eventually the masses will turn upon that which they once held dear. In fairness, there were a heap of alluring features before getting to the actual canvases which were so easily distracting. He pranced around 1920s Madrid, looking dandy, sporting long hair and sideburns and a lovely pair of knee-length breeches and matching stockings. Staring out at the world, bug-eyed with his old pal Man Ray. Expelled from the Academia de San Fernando, Madrid he simply shrugged his shoulders, grumbling that he was better than anybody there including the professors. Later he donned his Velazquez waxen moustache, earning him eternal iconic status, immediately recognisable world-wide. Supposedly, his response to being disinherited, was to hand his father back a condom containing his sperm, exclaiming, ‘Now I owe you nothing!'. His ambiguous position on fascism, led to his expulsion from the Surrealist movement, Dali was nonplussed, stating, 'I myself am Surrealism'. He delivered lectures in London, encased in a diving suit and helmet, gasping for breath and accompanied by a pack of wolfhounds. So, you see, there is much that Dali caught the headlines for, that was far removed from his art. But come on! There are undeniable daubs of genius! I mean this is the dude who gave us the Mae West Lips Sofa! I'm kidding! I'm kidding! Nobody, not even his greatest detractors can dispute the perfection of his draughtsmanship. He mastered Cubist perspective. He dominated the surrealists. He survived Abstract Expressionism and Pop Art without becoming involved in them. Dali remained Dali and his art remains compelling and popular right down to the present day. He was unique, he was his own art movement.
Russell Shortt is a travel consultant with Exploring Ireland, the leading specialists in customised, private escorted tours, escorted coach tours and independent self drive tours of Ireland. Article source Russell Shortt, http://www.exploringireland.net
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