Works Cited

Descharnes, Robert, and Gilles Neret. Dali. China: Benedikt Taschen Verlag, 2006.

Etherington-Smith, Meredith. The Persistence of Memory: A Biography of Dali. New York: Random House, 1992.

Lubar, Robert. The Salvador Dali Museum Collection. New York: Bulfinch Press, 2000.

Meisler, Stanley. "The Surreal World of Salvador Dali." Smithsonian Magazine. April 2005. http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/dali.html#ixzz0riTWjvU3.

Time

The year is 1936. All of the time that I spend promoting myself and shocking the world is paying off. I have been receiving international claim. Above is a picture of me on Time Magazine. I made the cover at just 36 years of age. I have been enjoying my solo exhibitions in Paris and New York City. French poet and critic Andre Breton was just recently quoted saying that I am "surrealism's most exotic and prominent figure" (Meisler 1-2).

Literary Works

The year is 1979. I know that people will remember me as the greatest surrealist artist of the 20th century but will they know the real and true Dali? I do not regret writing truthful books about my life. I wrote these books so my thoughts will never be forgotten. The first book I wrote was Oui: The Paranoid-Critical Revolution. This book covers my life from 1927-1933 and discusses my involvement with surrealism. My second and most famous book I wrote is the Secret Life of Salvador Dali which was published in 1942. This discusses my early life as a child and student and how I got involved in surrealism. Diary of a Genious was the last of the books written by me. In this book I talk about my wife Gala and the special relationship we had. I describe my world travels, all the while taking the reader along for the ride. I know there are so many books about me now and there will be more when I die. I am glad that I took the time to write about my life. If the people know and understand the real me they will appreciate my work. A famous quote that many have heard me say before is, "Just because I don't know the meaning of my art does not mean it has no meaning" (Mesler 1-4).

Paranoiac Critical Method

Lugubrious Game (1929)
Surrealist Flower Girl (1930)

The year is 1930 and last night I stayed up all night waiting for images to appear in my head. People always wonder how I paint and sculpt the way I do. They say, "How does he come up with this stuff?" I have a method that I use when I create my work. I induce myself in a hallucinatory state called "paranoiac critical." I wait for subconscious images to surface and then immediately put them on canvas. Sometimes I wait for hours and hours until the image appears in my head. Many times the images appear from childhood memories. Freud has a major impact on why I paint the way I do, this is why I must give credit to him. Without his theories, my career would be nothing. Many people find my work bizzare but it is my way of interpreting my dreams. That is why I have been quoted saying, "Surrealism is me." My family fears me and does not understand my work. Hopefully some day they will grow to appreciate it. This method is what has made me a famous and rich artist. They can fear it all they want, without it I would not have my fame (Etherington-Smith 107-110).

Early Work

First Days of Spring....This is one of my first paintings that contributed to the surrealist movement.


I painted this when I was seventeen.

The year is 1965. I was looking at some of my first works of art and started thinking about my years in school. No one in my life that was close to me was surprised when I was expelled from school at the young age of fifteen. For me, this was a good thing because school was boring and it allowed me more time to focus on what I really wanted to do at that point in my life: Art.

Much to my father's dismay, I was accepted to the San Fernando Royal Academy of Arts in Madrid in 1921. Initially, my father disliked the idea but later didn't seem to mind as much after my mother passed away. It was here, at the academy where I met Luis Buneul and Garcia Lorca. We collaborated on two Surrealist films and became very close friends. During my time at the Royal Academy I spent my mornings painting and drawing. My afternoons were spent discussing avant-garde movements. I particularly enjoyed discussing Surrealism, which at the time was just forming. Madrid was on the verge of change, waging a battle between traditional values and the entry of outside influences such as jazz and Freud.

My years at the academy did not last long. Again, I was not surprised and either were my family or friends. The academy did not accept my opinions and political beliefs. After just two years I was expelled from the academy and even jailed for a month for disturbance of the peace and political agitation. I was not upset as I found the lecturers to be rather dull and disappointing. They lectured on ideas and concepts that were not new to me. I yearned to move on to bigger and better ideas and was eager to do so. My family was very upset when I was expelled, especially my father. Not only was I determined to be a great artist but I also was sure to be a successful writer and filmmaker as well. I was well on my way before I was expelled from the academy.(Descharnes and Neret 15-20).

The Girl in the Window

The Girl in the Window (1925)

It is a spring morning and the year is 1960. When I reflect on the painting of The Girl in the Window (1925) I can't help but think about my mother's passing. After she died, my sister Ana Maria and I grew closer. In this painting Ana Maria is looking out at the Bay of Cadaques. I have fond memories of staying by the bay in the summer when I was a child. Some people did not understand my relationship with my sister. They found the paintings that I did of my sister too sensual. They just don't understand our relationship and frankly I don't care if they do! (Descharnes and Neret pgs.20-25).

Persistence of Memory

Disintegration of Persistence of Memory 1952
Persistence of Memory 1931

The year is 1971. I woke up this morning thinking about my most famous painting. I painted The Persistence of Memory in 1931. I had no idea that it would become one of the most celebrated and recognized paintings of the 20th century. I called this a hand-painted dream photograph. It can be read as a landscape, a still-life, and a self-portrait....all at the same time. Many critics said my painting was irrational, alarming, nonsensical, and mad! Although, little do they know, to a surrealist these adjectives are the highest of praise! That is exactly the reaction that I was going for. I wanted them to be shocked and baffled when they saw my masterpiece. Melted watches appeared on many of my paintings after this one. In 1954 I revised the original Persistence of Memory and titled the new painting The Disintegration of the Persistence of Memory. This work was significant because it represents how my life and art changed after World War II (Lubar 136-137).

Diario de Dali

The year is 1982. My wife, Gala passed away this year from heart failure. Some people say that I am insane now. I have no appetite and I miss her deeply. It's almost if I have no soul. I have more time on my hands to think back and reflect on my life. This is my diario (diary) that I have decided to share with the world. I have taken random pages from my own diary to share with all of you.