Dali

[LordoftheRingsEE]

Originally Posted by esteban

Anyone here into Salvador Dalí? He is without a doubt one of my all-time favorite artists. Like most of his admirers, I have a special place for his early surrealistic period, but also love some of the commissioned works he did, such as "The Divine Comedy", the "Alice In Wonderland" series, the "Aliyah" suite, the Mythology suite, etc.

I always dreamed of acquiring one of his signed pieces. Finally, after many years of dreaming, we recently purchased a signed lithograph of his "Bullfighter" from 1980, one of the very last pieces he signed.



That's my wife on the right. The smile says it all.

Very happy with our first Dalí!

(Would love to hear comments and experiences from other Dalí lovers and collectors)

---- Wow, lovely; both the painting and your wife!

Yes, I'm a huge Salvador Dali's fan myself, but unfortunately I don't own any originals.

Dali is simply and truly and amazingly a true genius (was). I studied him at ART school, and he was if not my favorite artist painter and sketcher one of them super maestros of the brush, imagination, and eyesight.
... A true troubadour on canvas.

[LordoftheRingsEE]

-- Got more pictures? ------------ ...Of your wife?

[bakerman]

Esteban, first of all my degree is in Printmaking so the way I see it we are not merely talking about a print here!!! Yes paintings have all the "aura" attached to them and prints are seen as second rate, but perhaps only because of the process of printing. Prints are not as immediate as paintings and can lose some spontaneity but shouldn't be seen as inferior. I do like the looks of an etching over a lithograph. To me they are more spacial and pull you in to the picture faster than a lithograph.

I'm not as well-versed in Surrealism and Dali as I am in more abstract periods, and quite frankly I find Dali a tough nut to crack. He does many commissioned works and most of them while being in the Dali style are quite different from what he normally does on his own. Now granted, commissioned pieces are usually a whole different animal than personal works, because deep down the artist really does want those paying the bill to actually like what he's done! (I'm not sure if Rothko's Chapel series applies here!) I think in doing so many commissioned pieces Dali was able to search for whatever he was looking for in an easier manner. He could break free of a "style" to explore new and different paths.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that even though he has the masterpieces that everyone knows of, there are so many works of his that are amazing. If you are a Dali lover then buy what you like. Just having the Dali name attached to the piece will ensure its value.

[LordoftheRingsEE]

-- Dali is so enigmatic that some of his paintings are owned by unknowns and their values are also unknown.

And they travel the oceans with no known dates and shipping means.

Just check the special on Dali in Montreal (Quebec, Canada) that is happening right now.

[bakerman]

btw...the Aliyah series is so powerful, as it should be given the subject matter. Many of the prints are quality pieces. I particularly like "The Land of Milk and Honey".

[bakerman]

I'm actually very drawn to his last painting, "The Swallow's Tail"

[jdandy]

Esteban.......Fabulously beautiful, and I like the Dali, too.

[esteban]

Originally Posted by bakerman

Esteban, first of all my degree is in Printmaking so the way I see it we are not merely talking about a print here!!! Yes paintings have all the "aura" attached to them and prints are seen as second rate, but perhaps only because of the process of printing. Prints are not as immediate as paintings and can lose some spontaneity but shouldn't be seen as inferior. I do like the looks of an etching over a lithograph. To me they are more spacial and pull you in to the picture faster than a lithograph.

I'm not as well-versed in Surrealism and Dali as I am in more abstract periods, and quite frankly I find Dali a tough nut to crack. He does many commissioned works and most of them while being in the Dali style are quite different from what he normally does on his own. Now granted, commissioned pieces are usually a whole different animal than personal works, because deep down the artist really does want those paying the bill to actually like what he's done! (I'm not sure if Rothko's Chapel series applies here!) I think in doing so many commissioned pieces Dali was able to search for whatever he was looking for in an easier manner. He could break free of a "style" to explore new and different paths.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that even though he has the masterpieces that everyone knows of, there are so many works of his that are amazing. If you are a Dali lover then buy what you like. Just having the Dali name attached to the piece will ensure its value.

Doug, thank you for your expert and valuable info. Even though I loved Dalí probably since I was 16 or so, I am not an art expert by any means, so your detailed post is much appreciated. I agree fully with your assertion of his commissioned works. In fact, most of my favorite pieces of his are part of a commissioned suite, such as the "Inferno" works, "Theseus And The Minotaur" and "The Milky Way" from his Mythology suite, most of the "Alice In Wonderland" pieces, both "Conquest Of The Cosmos" entries, some of his "Dalinean Horses", or even "Fantastic Voyage" (inspired by the film of the same name... this one might be a future purchase!). My wife loves most of his "Carmen" pieces as well. "The Land of Milk and Honey" you mentioned is also in the list.

When I saw some of the "Aliyah" pieces for the first time in a gallery in Orlando I didn't even know they belonged to Dalí, yet I was immediately drawn to them. It's fascinating how we tend to gravitate towards a certain style or visual vocabulary, and how a quick glance can be enough to leave a strong, lasting impression sometimes. And when one inspects pieces like "The Land Of Milk And Honey" or "I Have Set Before Thee..." in detail, Dalí's trademarks are unmistakable. I tend to use my gut feeling and go with works that convey an emotion or an atmosphere, just like with music.

[esteban]

Esteban.......Fabulously beautiful, and I like the Dali, too.

Dan and Bob, I showed your posts to my wife and she's blushing all the way to work at 5:50AM! I posted this in a different thread, but here's us during our recent honeymoon:

[bakerman]

Originally Posted by esteban

...I tend to use my gut feeling and go with works that convey and emotion or an atmosphere, just like with music.

Esteban, it really is amazing how all of the arts seem to have a common thread in them. Whether it is pictures, music, dance, food etc... we do tend to gravitate toward what pleases us and as we look past the initial layer, or surface, we are presented with so much more to investigate.