Artist Salvadore Dali is known as a brilliant artist, yet (arguably) his personality was as complex as his art. Some say vain, others say eccentric Some say narcissistic, others say brilliant. Some say difficult, and others simply say all the listed and more.
I am not strange. I am just not normal. (Salvador Dali)
Give me two hours a day of activity, and I’ll take the other twenty-two in dreams. (Salvador Dali)
The secret of my influence has always been that it remained secret. (Salvador Dali)
Intelligence without ambition is a bird without wings. (Salvador Dali)
Have no fear of perfection – you’ll never reach it. (Salvador Dali)
There is only one difference between a madman and me. The madman thinks he is sane. I know I am mad. (Salvador Dali)
A Frank Angle 
Nice dollop, Frank. I’ve always been a fan of his work; it’s the kind I can stare at for quite a while. In 1954 he had a series of very cool ceramic tiles. Someone in Spain is auctioning them on eBay right now: http://www.ebay.com/itm/SALVADOR-DALI-COMPLETE-SET-OF-6-CERAMIC-TILES-CREATED-AND-SIGNED-1954-BY-DALI-/161499092232?pt=Art_Prints&hash=item259a189508
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Lame,
Cool bit about the tiles (which I didn’t know) … too bad they aren’t more for a wall.
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I think they could work in a wall dotted amongst 6×6 field tile. (Oy, this is exactly the way I talk to The Boss at The Grind when we bounce ideas off each other.)
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Now there’s an idea … thus I wonder if other Dali tiles exist.
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I am only aware of him collaborating with Adex. They’re based in Spain, but have US distribution in Florida and California.
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It would be interesting to embed them with other tiles.
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If the other tiles were a solid color they would stand out more. (This really does sound like a typical work conversation; I hope this does not cost you followers.)
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Solid tiles was my mental picture, but that doesn’t mean I would be a good designer.
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That’s why there are professionals like my boss out there to guide the consumer to ensure that their home does not look like the second coming of the Bat Cave.
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Awesome share dear Frank ⭐
Have a wonderful and successful New Year!
Aquileana 😀
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Aquileana,
Happy New Year to you … and best wishes for a wonderful 2015!!!
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I loved his quotes 😀 His art in creating the famous logo of the Spanish lollipop company Chupa Chups was a big hit. 🙌
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Dilip,
I didn’t know that about the logo, so I did a quick search .. .many thanks for sharing!
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Most of these make me really uncomfortable – which is the artist’s intention so he must be good 🙂 A couple of his really evocative works – the ones I like and admire and once lived with in poster form, aren’t shown in the video – I guess any list is subjective. Thanks for the reminder Frank. I’m enjoying this years series just as much as last year!
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Pauline,
What does on in the artist’s mind and the purpose behind the art can be a mystery. To top it off, many artists are more interested in hearing about what others see or perceive as opposed to tell the viewers what they were thinking.
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I was once Aran auction where they were unction inc off some of his works at what seemed like bargain basement prices. I didn’t like anything offered and didn’t bid. Later my brother, an art history professor for many years, told me that Dali stuff is not a good investment. He would, apparent,y, sign anything!
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Believe it or not. Once upon time I could snap off the title and the year of each of these paintings as well as additional info. A requirement for writing the 20th Century Art History final. Oh the horror.
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Calvin,
Well now … go back through the days between Christmas and New Years for similar posts on other artists because I will be interested in your perspective … especially the one about a Cincinnati treasure.
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Gotta love Dali
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GFB,
I wonder how an encounter between Dali & Oily would unfold. Now there’s a possible post!
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Oily Dali – now that does boggle the mind!
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I was watching a travel program recently. An very interesting part was a tour of the Dali home.
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Jim,
Good timing on my part. Did his home seem normal or quirky?
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Quirky.
http://www.openculture.com/2012/01/salvador_dalis_home.html
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Absolutely quirky … but wow … what a setting! Thanks for the video!!!
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Very nice choice of title, Frank…..a “dollop” is about all I would want of this madness…
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Cynthia,
His art is one thing, yet his personality another.
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A few years ago, Peter and I took a 10-day trip to Barcelona and on one of our days, we rode the train up to the town of Figueres where Dali installed his own museum in an old castle. I have always been a fan and we really enjoyed the museum. But one thing that will stay in my memory forever was our visit to one of the galleries in the basement where his gold jewelry was exhibited. We viewed these great pieces in glass cases and when I turned around, there was his tomb! He had himself buried in the gallery – so Daliesque!
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Cathy,
Oh no … and I assume you didn’t know he was there. Thanks for sharing!!!!
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This blog earned a Bean Pat as blog pick of the day. Check it out at: http://patbean.wordpress.com
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Pat,
Happy New Year to you … and many thanks!
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Great post to come upon on a Sunday morning. Love Dali.
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Cayman,
This is kind of a CBS Sunday Morning with Charles Osgood. 🙂
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Now there’s an artist whose talent I admire, yet isn’t close to my heart, or my mentality. Undoubtedly a master painter though, I appreciate his work a lot.
By the way, his quote about madness is pure genius!!!!
Happy Sunday, Frank! 🙂 [and Full Moon!]
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Marina,
Seems you have a ying & yang thoughts about Dali, yet he’s a good example of how madness & genius get paired together. Cheers to you remembering the full moon … and oh yes … I owe you an email.
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I say brilliantly eccentric. Good choice.
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Fasab,
I doubt if many would argue with both of your descriptors for Dali. Well done!
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Fabulous quotes, Frank–and “we all go a little mad sometimes” (Norman Bates).
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Blu,
Now that one is very fitting with this topic!
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Yep, I’m on my game–but don’t expect it to last past the New Year’s first blush!
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I love Dali – one of my first exercises in creating multimedia was a combination of Dali’s melting piano paintings and the music of Eric Satie. Here’s a wild little video of the Dizzy Dali Dinner – a newsreel of a Dali dinner party complete with costume. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vg6i4E0Woak
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Lynn,
Now that event sure seemed a bit crazy! Meanwhile, I’d love to see that multimedia event if it’s easily available.
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I have always found Dali’s work to be really fascinating. When we were first married, we bought a print of his ‘Autumn Cannibalism’ and hung it on the wall in our dining room. 🙂 He was definitely an eccentric, and all the other things listed above.
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Sylvia,
Not being very knowledgeable about art, I don’t know that painting, but thanks for Google Images … wow … definitely eccentric! Thanks for sharing.
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I hope it didn’t put guests off their food. 😀
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There is something eminently prophetic about that last statement… I figure madness is just a thing, a sense of life, a means of vacillating to the extremes without being concerned about your extremities… I always tell people to embrace their inner madness. That’s always struck a core with me, but I don’t really know why. I don’t profess to share in Dali’s madness, of course. I no where near that unstable. I only wish that I could be.
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Trent,
Excellent thoughts, which makes me wonder about that fine line in the grey area. Moving toward it is one thing … crowding it is another … and crossing it is yet another.
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Crossing it with aplomb and without regard for your personal stability is the last extreme, I think. Once again, gentlemen, into the…
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I really enjoyed the slideshow, Frank, and although I’ve been to a Dali exhibit years ago, I don’t remember seeing half of these. And I’m quite sure I wouldn’t have forgotten them if I had. I’m not an overt fan of his work, but I would also say it’s irresistible when you begin to study the pieces. I loved the quotes…he was definitely in a league of his own! Thank you for such an interesting mini-art class!
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Debra,
I’ve never seen an exhibition of his work, but I imagine I’ve seen something in person, but I don’t know what. I like some, then again, some is too bizarre for my taste.
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When you mix up the complex amalgamation of what makes up an “artistic personality” you end up with people who tend to the eccentric, the strange, the unique and the individual. Many of them are nomadic hermits with difficult personalities but they all have one thing in common. The driving need to create. Many burn out too soon but what they produce is gold. Here’s to the artists of the world, for they share with us their divine spark in their work.
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Narf,
Well said about the artistic brilliance of those with artistic gold and eccentricity. Also true in our fields.
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I think he may be a bit of all of those descriptions. That’s the beauty of creating something, you can be anything you want to be or you can portray anything you want. Great post Frank
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Kay,
Dali’s paintings were complex, which mimicked his personality. Glad you enjoyed this!
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His home – and life was very quirky. (the original whacky mustache?)
Great quotes! ( I always loved the first one.)
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Mouse,
Quirky and whacky are good adjectives in multiple ways! .. and that first quote makes me laugh!
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Great post Frank – I’m so far removed from Dali’s quirky mind, but his quotes are awesome and his talent as an art something to ponder and then admire.
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Mary,
You are spot on regarding his mind and his art!
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“Intelligence without ambition is a bird without wings.”
This quotation made me think and it’s definitely worth a post on its own. What is Dali saying here? Does he mean that ambition is the driving force that makes intelligence useful? What about those of us who choose not to be ambitious? Shouldn’t Dali have said something along the lines of “intelligence without ambition is like a bird with wings who refuses to fly”. Sorry to take the conversation away from his art which is the very definition of genius.
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Malcolm,
Not off topic … and you raise an interesting point. In my opinion, I think your version was his intent. Meanwhile, I await your post on this saying.
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