Salvador Dali MOMA

Dalí was a New York City cultural fixture in the 1960s. When in town he resided with his wife Gala at the St. Regis Hotel, just a block away from MoMA, and was often seen dashing about from one fabulous appointment to another. Before arriving in New York in 1934, Dalí professed an uncanny familiarity with the city; this was the case as his knowledge of New York was from its numerous cinematic portrayals and not firsthand experience. Dalí sat for two Warhol Screen Tests, both made in 1966. The first (ST67) is often called Upside Down Dalí, as the 3.7-minute short was filmed with the camera upside down. Callie Angell notes he “gives a typically surreal performance” by staring imperiously and playing with a small, sequined evening bag. He even taps the bag against his cheek as if keeping rhythm with some offscreen music.