Who Is Salvador Dali?
Avant garde in personality and experimental in art is what made Salvador Felipe Jacinto Dali i Domenech tick. Simply known to many as Dali, he described his life best by saying, "The only difference between the Surrealists and me is that I am a Surrealist." He will remain one of the few artists of the 20th century that continues to draw interest, not only in his paintings but with his colorful life that remained surreal to the end.
Early Beginnings
Born near the Catalan Pyrenees in the town of Figueres, Spain on May 11, 1904, Salvador Dali was the son of a prosperous and privileged family. Dali spent his childhood alternating between home in Figueres and summer holidays at the family's dwelling in Cadaques on the Mediterranean Sea. With his love of sketching and drawing, his parents built a studio for Dali within their vacation residence.
Early Years
At age 18, Dali went to study composition and techniques at the San Fernando Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Madrid. Three years later in 1925, he held his first one-man exhibition in Barcelona with reviewers proclaiming him as a newfound talent. Exhibiting his works at the Carnegie International Exhibition in Pittsburgh in 1928, he was considered an international celebrity. He joined the Surrealist Movement in Paris while securing another one-man show. However, he would always return to Cadaques, which inspired him to paint.
Pre-War Europe
It was in Cadaques where he met Gala Eluard with her husband, poet Paul Eluard. Gala became an instrumental part of Dali's life by transpiring into his main model, then his wife in 1936, and as his permanent personal and business manager. Developing more controversial and political views, Dali was "expelled" from the Surrealist group. Despite that, his works continued to be exhibited internationally as a "surrealist." He and Gala were forced to leave native Spain, alternating between London and Paris, as the Spanish Civil War progressed.
War-Time Changes
Escaping from war-torn Europe in 1940, Dali and Gala spent eight years in the United States. Preoccupation with science, religion and politics were being incorporated into his paintings more than previously. New York bestowed Dali to become a household name with a major exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art furnishing nothing less than rave reviews. Hollywood felt Dali's presence, too. He was a collaborator with animator Walt Disney on a film project known as Destino, which wasn't released to the public until 2003. Alfred Hitchcock also consulted Dali in creating a dream sequence for the film Spellbound.
Later Years
With the war over, Dali and Gala returned to Spain, where they resided in a castle in Pubol and at Dali's studio in Cadaques. He still undertook many art exhibitions and ran the gamut of lecture circuits and appearing on TV talk shows. Dali's masterpieces can be found in numerous museums and private collections throughout the world. Dali opened the Teatro Museo in 1974, dedicating it to his works and life based in his hometown of Figueres. After the death of Gala in 1982 in Pubol, King Juan Carlos of Spain granted the title of Marquis of Pubol to Dali. Marquis Dali's health began to fail and eventually he moved adjacent to his museum, remaining in seclusion. Dali died on January 23, 1989.
