|
Salvador Dali was born in Figures, Spain, in 1904. Dali became interested in art when he was a young boy, but he became more serious about his craft when he vacationed with Ramon Pichot, an artist, who became young Dali's role model. He began studying at the Municipal Drawing School where he was formally introduced to painting, draftsmanship and engraving. In 1918, when Dali was just 14, his drawings were first published in magazines and newspapers. Dali was accepted into the Academia de San Fernando in Madrid, only to be expelled in 1926 for refusing to take the exam for "Fine Art Theory", a test which Dali thought the faculty of the Academy was unqualified to judge. Dali was exposed to all the major art movements including Impressionism and Futurism, and in 1928 he went to Paris where he met Picasso and Miro and became part of the Surrealist Movement. In 1929 Dali and fellow classmate Luis Bunuel created the Surrealistic movie called "Un Chien Andalou". In that same year he met Gala, his future wife, inspiration, model, muse and stabilizing force in Dali's career and life in general. Dali's eccentric character and extraordinary talent made him a principle figure of Surrealism, an art movement based on the theories of famed psychologist Sigmund Freud, who believed our behavior is based on the unconscious and the interpretation of our dreams. In 1933, Dali had his first one-man exhibition in New York City, and in 1940 Dali and Gala fled war-torn Europe to reside in the United States. After this move, Dali had numerous successful one-man shows in his new home. Dali's outlandish personality and spectacular talent made him a darling of America's high society. In 1948, Dali and Gala returned to Europe, living in both their homes in Spain and France, where he became deeply interested in religion, philosophy and sciences which he integrated into his work. In 1970, Dali and Gala separated and with his partner's support gone, Dali became dispirited and his production and creativity waned. Dali died in 1989. Today, a spectacular collection of Dali's art is displayed in in the Dali Museum that was established in 1971 in St. Petersburg, Florida. In addition, Salvador Dali's art is exhibited in all major mueums throughout the world. |