Persistence of Memory Salvador Dali Gala Surrealism Spain

The Persistence of Memory by Salvador Dali. La persistencia de la memoria. The painting has been in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City since 1934. It is very widely recognized, and is frequently referenced in popular culture.

The well-known surrealist piece introduced the image of the soft melting pocket watch. It epitomizes Dalí's theory of "softness" and "hardness", which was central to his thinking at the time. As Dawn Ades wrote, "The soft watches are an unconscious symbol of the relativity of space and time, a Surrealist meditation on the collapse of our notions of a fixed cosmic order"[1]. This interpretation suggests that Dalí was incorporating an understanding of the world introduced by Albert Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity. When asked by Ilya Prigogine whether this was in fact the case, Dali replied that the soft watches were not inspired by the theory of relativity, but by the surrealist perception of a camembert cheese melting in the sun.[2]

Although fundamentally part of Dalí's Freudian phase, the imagery precedes his transition to his scientific phase by fourteen years, which occurred after an atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima in 1945.

It is possible to recognize a human figure in the middle of the composition, in the strange "monster" that Dalí used in several period pieces to represent himself – the abstract form becoming something of a self portrait, reappearing frequently in his work. The orange clock at the bottom left of the painting is covered in ants. Dalí often used ants in his paintings as a symbol for death, as well as a symbol of female genitalia.

The figure in the middle of the picture is symbolized as a "fading" creature, as which, when one often dreams, he or she cannot pin-point the exact form and composition of a creature. One can also see that the creature has one closed eye with several eyelashes; this also suggests that the creature is in a dream state. The iconography of this famous painting is that of a dream that Dalí had experienced. The clocks symbolize the passing of time that one experiences in a dream state.

While Salvador Dali did create quite a few limited edition graphics, etchings, engravings, lithographs etc., that were hand signed in pencil for the most part (some signed in ink) he did not agree to create a limited edition version of the Persistence of Memory until 1974. The hand signed print is an interpretation of Dali's earlier work. The original painting is a small 9" x 12", but the limited edition graphic is a large 29 1/2 x 30 1/2 inch work on heavy archival paper.

Notice the added clock in the interpretation.

Also (not shown here) there is a small image in the lower border

that shows the original paitning, and there are also engraved characters in the

lower border as well. The pencil signature and pencil edition numbers are just below

the image.

The art market is changing at a fast past these days, as Christies and Sothby's are reporting record auction sales. Limited edition works that sold for affordable prices only 15 or 20 years ago, are selling at record high prices today.

It is still possible to obtain one of these rare works by Dali, but as it has happened with all Masters in the past, the availability of any original or signed limited edition works changes at a much faster pace as time marches on.

If you have any questions about this work, fee free to call me at: 888-888-DALI ask for Dan.

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Salvador Dali working in his studio in the 1960's creating lithographs

Notice the bullfight print in the background. This is Dali in 1965 hand working on the Bullfight series.

Carlos Slim Salvador Dali Art Collection

Mexican Telecom Tycoon Carlos Slim unveiled his art collection at the openinig of his new museum.
The collection includes works by a number of masters, including Salvador Dali.

This marks another occassion where Dali works are being displayed in a musuem.

Some other examples of museums where you can view works by Dali:

1. Museum of Modern Art NY  MOMA
2. Guggenheim Museum NY
3. The Art Institute of Chicago  IL
4. Metropolitan Museum of Art NY
5. Tate Gallery London England UK
6. Musee National d' Art Moderne  Paris France
7. Reina Sofia Museum Madrid Spain
8. Museum of Modern Art San Francisco
9. Hermitage Museum Russia
10. Louvre Museum Paris France
11. Museum of Fine Arts Boston MA
12. Philadelphia Museum of Fine Art PA
13. Salvador Dali Museum Figueras Spain
14 Dali Museum St. Petersburg Florida

There are more, but this gives you an idea as to the strenght of works by Dali.

Sotheby's announces record sales numbers, includes Dali sales in results

Sotheby's announces largest sales growth in auction history!

Part of the success is attributed to works by Salvador Dali.

From Sothbey's:

Dali's masterpiece, Portrait de Paul Eluard was pursued by no fewer than nine prospective buyers and soared above the pre-sale estimate to sell for $21.7 million. It tripled the record established for Dali set earlier in the week and also became a new record price for any Surrealist work of art sold at auction.

Santiago El Grande Salvador Dali painting High Museum

Three paintings by legendary surrealist Salvador Dali - including the epic 1957 piece Santiago El Grande, featuring a rearing white horse with St. James of Compostela, the patron saint of Spain, on its back - returned to Fredericton last week from a six-month loan to the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Ga.

Salvador Dali Posters

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Lady Gaga pays hommage to Salvador Dali on KIIS FM Ryan Seacrest

I have been waiting for Lady Gaga to give credit to Salvador Dali for many of her fashions, icons and public displays, she finally did that this morning while on the radio with Ryan Seacrest of KIIS FM

Excerpt from show:

"And I would say an abundance of Francis Bacon and Dalí-like references. And perhaps a little bit of Rainbow Brite and Barbie.” (I don’t know about you, PopWatchers, but I loved Dalí’s The Persistence of Lala Orange.)"

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Lady Gaga Egg borrowed from Salvador Dali

Lady Gaga Borrows another idea from Salvador Dali, The EGG.

First you see Dali's use of the egg in a 1940's painting called "Geopoliticus Child Watching the Birth of the New Man"

Next you see an image of Lady Gaga arriving at the Grammys in an EGG.

Here are some more examples of Dali's use of the EGG

Lady Gaga continues to use Dali Icons on stage and at public events. Her name Gaga, very similar to Dali's wifes name, Gala.

Salvador Dali continues to set records at auction!

Salvador Dali continues to draw large crowds at auction and sell far above projected hammer price.

Salvador Dali sets new record at Christies Surreal Day at the Beach

Salvador Dalí's "Etude Pour 'Le Miel Est Plus Doux que le Sang'" sold for $6,561,070, a record for the artist. (Surreal Day at the Beach)

LONDON— Though lacking firepower on par with the blockbuster Picasso its arch-rival Sotheby's had on Tuesday evening, Christie's knocked down a marathon evening sale in London that tag-teamed Impressionist and Modern Art with the "Art of the Surreal" to bring in a market-assuring $136,316,959 (£84,879,800). That tally overshot the £72.5 million low presale estimate, but fell shy of the £107.1 million high estimate.

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Lady Gaga borrows ideas from Salvador Dali and his wife GALA

Interesting, Lady Gaga who's real name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, chose her name after the Queen song, Radio Gaga, but it is interesting that her name is similar to the wife of Salvador Dali. Dali was married to Gala, a self proclaimed fashion designer. Here is an example of "Gala's" fashion, notice how similar it is to Lady Gaga:

Gala with her Unicorn headdress

Lady Gaga with her Antler Headdress

Notice some of the head gear or fashion Lady Gaga wears in public and on stage, it is very similar to hats and fashion created by Gala, Dali's wife. In addition to the similarities between Gala and Lady Gaga, the use of a piano with legs fashioned after the stork legged elephants in many of Dali's works like the famous "Temptation of St. Anthony" seen here

Here is Lady Gaga's use of the long skeleton legs we see on the elephants and horses in the image:

 

and then the recent image of her wearing a telephone on her head, and the famous meat jacket make it clear that she is inspired by and pays homage to the last master of the 20th Century, Salvador Dali.

The meat or flesh dress she wore to an awards show was taken from another designers idea from the 1980s, but look at all the similarities between Gaga's designs and Dali's. Dali and Elsa Schiaparelli created many of the ideas Lady Gaga has been using for the past few years.

Dali's Lobster Telephone Lady Gaga's Lobster...uh..well Hat? Mask? thing...

Lady Gaga's Telephone Hat and some examples of Dali and Elsa Schiaparelli designs.

Lady Gaga's Meat/Flesh dress, taken from another designers ideas back in the 1980's

There are many other examples, even the bubble dress is similar to a bubble dress from another designer and a jacket Dali designed that is covered in cups or glasses.

Dali and Brigitte Bardot back in the 1960's, notice the Hat, almost looks like something

we might see on Lady Gaga?

Before her music career took off, Lady Gaga went to art school in NY.

This could be the place she saw works by Dali and his wife Gala and was inspired to

borrow the ideas for her own use. While some say the Queen song Radio Gaga is the 

originof her name, It seems the name Gaga was an interpretation of 

Salvador Dali's wife's name Gala. 

In addition, Dali used to like to show up in public wearing a 

full diving outfit with heavy bell helmet, or perhaps take a walk with an 

anteater or some other unusual animal on a leash. The public was

shocked of course and the events wound up in the news back 

in the 1960's and 70's.  Another similarity is the "vessel" Gaga emerged from

at the Music Awards, Dali and his wife Gala broke out of a giant egg (same shape

as the vessel) on the beach in Spain and poured red paint on the shore while talking

about the rebirth of surrealism, thus the egg. 

Lady Gaga seems to have latched on to the idea and attempts to 

shock the public at any opportunity.

It would be nice if she would give credit where credit is due and mention 

Dali's name every now and again.

Your comments are welcome!

*Update: Since the posting of this blog, Lady Gaga has mentioned Dali 

and his wife Gala on various tv and radio shows ranging from 

Jay Leno to Ryan Seacrest. Salvador Dali himself also borrowed from other

artists, but he always gave them credit. :) 

UPDATE: As of the posting of this blog post back in 2011, quite a few agencies and individuals have shared my original content and not given any credit. I was in the Dali Business, I spoke to Lady Gaga before her name was Lady Gaga. I originated all the ideas in this blog as a result of being in the industry while Lady Gaga was forming her original ideas about Dali. If you are going to steal my content, please simply place a link back to this blog and let readers know where the information originated. Thank you. 

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Salvador Dali Fantastic Voyage Film connection

The 3D remake of iconic 1966 sci-fi movie Fantastic Voyage is to be directed by The Night Of The Museum director Shawn Levy. The original movie was directed by Harry Kleiner, and was based on a story by Otto Klement and Jerome Bixby. It inspired an animated television series, a Salvador Dalí painting of the same name, as well as an Isaac Asimov novelisation.

Deadline.com reports that the new film will follow the same story as the original: a team of scientists shrink themselves and enter a colleague’s body in order to save him from a blood clot.

However, in the new version once the scientists enter the body the film will be almost exclusively CGI. Avatar director James Cameron is signed on to produce.
It's rumored that Hugh Jackman could be about to sign on to play the lead. He’s due to star in the Levy-directed Real Steel in October, and the pair are reportedly looking to work together on an "untitled action/adventure project".

The original "Fantastic Voyage" inspired Salvador Dali to create an interpretation

of the film as an original painting.

After seeing Raquel Welch in the film, it's no surprise Dali wanted to meet her.

The original Painting: "Fantastic Voyage"

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Dali Museum Tampa Bay Arts Scene written by Denise Gabbard

Tampa Bay Arts Scene....Really!


The Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida area is drawing art lovers from all over the country, in many cases even from around the world. Why, you ask? It’s because the area is now host to a string of trendy new galleries and museums that house must-see collections, and still have time to work on your tan.

Dali Museum
St. Petersburg boasts the new $36 million Salvador Dali Museum that has replaced the old museum and doubled the space. This is considered the most comprehensive collection of Dali’s work, even more so than the Dali Theater and Museum in his native Figueres, Spain. The original museum was founded in 1980 by an Ohio couple, A. Reynolds and Eleanor Reese Morse that donated the lion’s share of the Dali pieces. They started collecting when they got married in 1942 and amassed almost 100 of his works, and also met and became friends with Dali and his wife Gala.

The new museum, which had its grand opening the first week of January, sits above Tampa Bay and even lured Spanish realty to the Bay area for the party. It is a stunning piece of architecture, a sleek building made of concrete and waves of glass paneling that changes color with the sunshine. In the gift shop, you can find signature things like melting wristwatches that made Dali so famous as an eccentric artist.

Chihuly Collection

Dale Chihuly is a master glass worker, and the Morean Arts Center is hosting an exhibit of his works. At the Chihuly Collection, there are studio edition glass works available for sale. Also at the Morean Arts Center, you will find workshops, a glass studio, and other art classes. There are also lots of other exhibits. Currently there are several pertaining to the state of Florida: Paradise Lost/Paradise Found and Disappearing Florida.

Tampa Museum of Art

In February 2010, Tampa welcomed its new Museum of Art in the downtown theater district on Gasparilla Avenue. The museum is a $33 million building that houses permanent collections including Greek and Roman antiquities, American modernist and realist paintings, photography, and sculpture. The museum will also host a Degas exhibition from March 12 till June 19, 2011. Degas: Form, Movement and the Antique will bring a number of the French artist’s paintings, drawings, and sculptures that examined the relationship between his two dimensional works and sculpture, during a period when he explored movement and form. This exhibition will closely complement the permanent collection at the Tampa Museum of Art of the Greek and Roman antiquities that influenced Degas from his familiarity with the Louvre collections.

St. Pete Museum of Fine Arts

Renovated and expanded in 2008, the Museum of Fine Arts has a comprehensive collection of art pieces, ranging from antiquities to current day works. The current presentation is Romantics to Moderns, and it is billed as an important survey of watercolors and drawings from the UK. This exposition is lent to the museum from the Collection of BNY Mellon Wealth Management, and runs from January 22, 2011 to May 1, 2011. It is based on 70 drawings and watercolors by 48 British artists, each of them completed between the late 1700’s and early 1900’s.
As you can see, the Tampa area is no longer just a mecca for beach-goers, but it is also developing a thriving arts community. When planning a visit to the area, leave yourself a few days to check out the galleries and museums. You will not be disappointed.
This guest post was written by Denise Gabbard,
Chief of Marketing for artGalore

Salvador Dali Disney Destino

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Actor Alan Cumming to play Salvador Dali in upcoming film

Actor Alan Cumming to play Salvador Dali in upcoming film

Alan Cumming, who’s currently playing against type as a ruthless campaign manager on The Good Wife, will play

Salvador Dali in an upcoming film.

The movie, directed by Australian Philippe Mora, will start shooting this summer, and it will be in 3D—the first time (we know of) that the technology will be used for a film focused on art instead of action.

Because it’s a film about Dali, one of (it not the) greatest surrealist artist, it won’t be your average biopic, but instead “a series of dream-like, fantasy sequences intersected with reality, [that are] profoundly evocative of Dali’s art.”

As the last few films were shot down for being inacurate portrayals of Dali,

It will be interesting to see if this makes the cut.

It is time for a film that depicts Dali in his true light, as the Master of Surrealism.

Salvador Dali's 1965 work titled: Studio of Dali

Hand signed rare limited edition lithograph.

Salvador Dali created the original painting that was used to create the signed lithograph shown above.

Dali painted the original work during the 1964 Worlds Fair.

1964 Worlds Fair

The Studio of Dali is an impressive image that includes an image of Dali's brother who passed away before Dali was born, also his wife Gala is in the image along with a nude model at Dali's studio. The image shows a few different perspectives of Dali at work in the studio. There are a few rare videos of Dali in his studio and some still images, here are a few examples.

While original oil paintings and drawings have dominated Salvador Dali auctions in the past, original lithographs, etchings, engravings and other mediums are showing up more and more often as availability becomes an issue. There was a time when you could purchase a pencil signed Picasso print in the hundreds of dollars, those days are long gone as some Picasso prints have reached the 2MILLION Dollar mark at major auction houses. Salvador Dali passed away a number of years after Picasso, but as Dali's name continues to gain more and more momentum with countless exhibits and new Museums opening, I think we are on our way to high priced Dali works as well.

Stand by for updates in the near future.

Salvador Dali High Museum 5th best attended exhibit in history of museum

Dalí fifth best-attended exhibit in High Museum history

The High Museum of Art's "Dalí: The Late Work" exhibition drew 20,214 during an open-for-31-hours-straight grand finale, raising overall attendance to more than 270,000.

That makes it the fifth best-attended exhibit in High history. But considered in context, the numbers are more impressive: Three of the top-five shows were from the Atlanta museum's extended partnership with Paris' Louvre museum and ran for nearly a year each. The Dalí exhibit, by contrast, was up for 22 weeks.
"I certainly hoped the exhibit would be a big draw. To actually see the volumes of people was beyond my expectations," "Dalí" curator Elliott King said in an exclusive interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Salvador Dali Museum Florida

The Salvador Dali Museum in Florida is now open. Here are some shots of the new museum exterior and interior. A Surreal structure with an impressive collection of Dali works.

If you have any Dali related questions, feel free to call:

888-888-DALI Ext. 204

Salvador Dali Museum in Florida is now open

ST. PETERSBURG --

A new era for the arts began today when the doors open to the new Dalí Museum, showcasing the works of Spanish surrealist Salvador Dalí.
And after a surreal procession from the old museum building to the new one, an 11:11-a.m. ribbon cutting ushered in the new facility.
The Dalí Museum is ready to welcome the public after six years of intensive planning, two years of construction and $36 million.
The building is larger, safer and more suited to display one of the most comprehensive Dalí collections.

Salvador Dali Experts

If you have any Salvador Dali related questions, feel free to call me at 888-888-DALI Ext. 204 or ask for Dan.