Dali: Mustachioed Man of Mystery

A few weeks ago, I had the great pleasure to witness firsthand the late works of the Spanish Surrealist Salvador Dali. My family  made the cultural pilgrimage at my behest, and we arrived ready to soak in some serious surrealism. The exhibit was well planned, and though crowded, provided plenty of room to simply meander around and take in the art. It began, as most things do, at the beginning, providing a brief overview of the late artist's early life as well as some of his first works. One of my favorites from this period was one aptly titled "Debris of an Automobile Giving Birth to a Blind Horse Biting a Telephone" (1938)

I loved the Picasso-y feel and I thought the combination of organic and inorganic material perfectly expressed the political and cultural upheaval that was not only shaking Spain but the whole world. Dali's later works are devoid of classical surrealism, as he was expelled from that group after his acceptance of the Catholic faith and  his Old Masters' inspired pieces. Though I throughly enjoyed some of his more well known works, such as "Christ of St. John of the Cross" or "Santiago el Grande", I was confused and perturbed by the plethora of rhinoceros horns that cluttered his work.  

Were they a reference to a Freud? Were they just a random shape the artist liked? By the end of the exhibit, I felt throughly disgusted  by rhinoceros horns. Also towards the end of the exhibit, I became a trifle weary of the large emphasis on Dali's volatile and eccentric personality. I felt that the museum overly portrayed Dali's antics and personal relationships, and though it is often enjoyable and informative to see the personal side of an artist, in the case of Dali, it was overwhelming. Let me provide you with an example. Near the end of the exhibit, there was a 4 minute video of Dali hanging upside down and not moving being projected on the wall. Four minutes. I just don't understand how or why someone would want to watch a middle aged Spanish man hanging upside down and not doing anything for 4 minutes, no matter how famous he was. Despite the hiccups at the end, I had a great time with my family and learned a great deal about an artist I knew very little about.