Salvador Dali was born in 1904 in Spain, where he also lived his entire life and where he died at the age of 84. During his lifetime, his art, which was a blend of surrealism, Dadaism, Renaissance, and the bizarre, was filled with distorted figures and complex symbolism.
Eggs, clocks, and elephants were among his favorite subjects.
Dali was well traveled and well connected and during the prime of his life he worked with the likes of Walt Disney, Alfred Hitchcock, and Pablo Picasso. Andy Warhol stated that he was influenced and inspired by Dali’s work and persona. Although most of Dali’s works portrayed unusual (even disturbing) images, many of his paintings were incredibly realistic, displaying simple lines, natural beauty, and even tenderness.
He also flirted with politics and many of his friends and acquaintances were unsure of his stance and his beliefs. Themes of anarchy and disintegration, along with the perspective of an active subconscious, permeate Dali’s art. Also, his fondness for optical illusions is demonstrated in some of his more popular works.
Tags: Dada, optical illusions, Renaissance, surrealism, symbolism
