Last year, I read of a new museum opening that was going to showcase hundreds of works of the surreal artist, Dali. We finally made it and both of us are so glad we did.
So what is this all about? Dali17 is a permanent exhibition of remarkable and unprecedented art, including original etchings, mixed media, lithographs, and rare sculptures by one of the twentieth century’s premier and most celebrated surrealist artists, Spaniard Salvador Dali.
Why here? The name Dali17 ties Dali’s influence and history to the original 17 Mile Drive, where he lived and worked. This is the first permanent Dali exhibition located on the West Coast and the largest private collection on exhibition in the United States. It has previously been exhibited in Spain and Belgium.
Monterey was the only place in the United States where Salvador Dali lived and painted. While living in the Monterey Peninsula during the 1940s, Dali was heavily involved in the social art scene. As an early Carmel Art Association member, he exhibited vintage-sourced photographs and generously gave his time to help jury competitive art exhibitions for high school students throughout California. Dali and his wife Gala stayed at the Hotel Del Monte in 1941 and 1942 and when the Navy took over during WWII they were moved to Cottage Row at the Del Monte Lodge, now the Lodge at Pebble Beach, where they stayed from 1943 to 1948.
We spent hours learning about this artist, a phenomenon of great proportions. One of the most informative means of gaining knowledge was through a series of films the museum offered.
Over the course of our visit, we spent three hours watching cinematic history lessons from Neil Hotelling's Salvador Dali on the Monterey Peninsula to a 50 minute film titled Dali on Dali which was a collection of interviews and television appearances by Dali, himself. What an interesting collection it was. The man was honest, true to himself and quite humorous. The final film was called Dirty Dali- A Private View which showed us a side of the artist that explained a great deal of us artwork. "I am not strange. I am just not normal" couldn't be a more true quote by him.
After admiring Dali's works, we grew to appreciate his talent. He was a surreal showman but he was also very talented. We have to remember that he was a surrealist. By definition, surrealism aimed at expressing imaginative dreams and visions free from conscious rational control. Dali was truly free of any rational control, in his art and his person life.
We left with a new knowledge of this artist and we liked him. He was well known throughout the world, and drew a wide variety of friends and associates from the art, film and entertainment industries. Celebrities including Walt Disney, Bob Hope, Andy Warhol and Gloria Vanderbilt were pictured at Dali’s parties. We're so happy to now know this unique man.
"Each morning when I awake,
I experience again a supreme pleasure
- that of being Salvador Dali."
-Salvador Dali
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1 comments:
Dali and Gala. What a pair (of names!).
Well, that looks like an interesting museum. I missed it when I was there last year.
How wonderful that he was so original and eccentric. I don’t like all his work, which means his work is accepted by more people. Everyone has different tastes.
The fact that Walt was a fan means he did something right!
🍜
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