The Art Basel ~ Art Film Program – Highlights

One of my favorite programs of Art Basel, the Art Film Program, will be on all week long. The Art Film program at Art 42 Basel features a varied program of films by and about artists, screened at the Stadtkino Basel.

The nightly program from Tuesday to Sunday, curated by film scholar Marc Glöde (Berlin), presents films by artists including Jennifer Bornstein, Anna Gaskell, Anthony McCall, Nathalie Djurberg, Agnieszka Polska, Huang Ran, Lawrence Weiner and Sam Samore.

On Wednesday evening, This Brunner, the Zurich film connaisseur, will present the Swiss premiere of the feature-length 3D documentary film’The Cave of Forgotten Dreams’ (2010) by Werner Herzog.

Another highlight will be the Swiss premiere of Lawrence Weiner’s film ‘Dirty Eyes’ (2010) on Friday, followed by a conversation with Lawrence Weiner.

See the Art Basel 42 detailed, day-by-day art film program overview below.

About Art Basel

The premier annual art show, Art Basel feels like the summer reunion of the international artworld scene.  300+ galleries from 35 countries showcase contemporary art work by 2,500+ interesting artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. Founded by a group of local gallerists, the first Art Basel took place in 1970 and the event has long ranked as the most prestigious annual art show worldwide.

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Art Film | Program Overview

TUESDAY | June 14
8pm | Stadtkino Basel | Landscapes of/for Theatricality | The screening is followed by a conversation with Huang Ran
10pm | Stadtkino Basel | Animated Worlds

WEDNESDAY | June 15
8pm | Cinema Rex | The Cave of Forgotten Dreams by Werner Herzog | 3D projection | Swiss Premiere | The screening is followed by a conversation with Harald Floss, Professor and Author, and Film Historian Marcy Goldberg.

THURSDAY | June 16
10pm | Stadtkino Basel | Landscapes of/for Theatricality | The screening is followed by a conversation with Anna Gaskell.

FRIDAY | June 17
8pm | Stadtkino Basel | Dirty Eyes by Lawrence Weiner | Swiss Premiere | The screening is followed by a conversation with Lawrence Weiner.
10pm | Stadtkino Basel | Animated Worlds

SATURDAY | June 18
11am | Cinema Rex | The Cave of Forgotten Dreams by Werner Herzog | 3D projection
8pm | Stadtkino Basel | Hallucinations/Paradise by Sam Samore | European Premiere | The screening is followed by a conversation with Sam Samore.
10pm | Stadtkino Basel | Dirty Eyes by Lawrence Weiner | The screening is followed by a conversation with Lawrence Weiner.

SUNDAY | June 19
11am | Stadtkino Basel | Hallucinations/Paradise by Sam Samore

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(image source: Galleri Bo Bjerggaard)

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Art Film | Program Details
The Cave of Forgotten Dreams | 2010 | by Werner Herzog | 3D projection | Swiss Premiere, Running Time 95′
Since the Chauvet Cave’s discovery in 1994, access has been extremely restricted due to concerns that overexposure, even to human breath, could damage the priceless drawings. Only a small number of researchers have ever seen the art in person. Legendary film director Werner Herzog gains exclusive permission to film inside the Chauvet Caves of southern France, capturing the oldest known pictorial creations of humankind. Putting 3D technology to profound use, he takes us back over 30,000 years in time.
Curated by This Brunner

The screening on June 15 is followed by a conversation with Harald Floss, Professor and Author, and Film Historian Marcy Goldberg.
The screening on June 18 is followed by a conversation with Jürgen Wertheimer, Professor and Author, and Film Historian Marcy Goldberg.

Landscapes of/for Theatricality | Curated by Marc Glöde, Running Time 59′
The program addresses questions relating to theatricality in the landscape and the theatricality of the landscape. The screened works alternate between performances in landscapes and processes in which landscapes themselves become performative, raising questions about the relationship between body, image, and space.
Anna Gaskell | SOSW Ballet, 2011, 27’04” | Galerie Gisela Capitain
Chen Quilin | Garden, 2011, 14’36” | Long March Space
Huang Ran | Blithe Tragedy, 2010, 14’52” | Long March Space
Elina Brotherus | Bright, bright day, 2010, 2’19” | gb agency
Jennifer Bornstein | Frauenkörperbewegungsbilder, 2011, 5’15” | greengrassi
Anthony McCall | Landscape for Fire, 1972, 7’05” | Galerie Thomas Zander, Sprüth Magers
Anthony McCall | Landscape for White Squares, 1972, 1’45” | Galerie Thomas Zander
Anthony McCall | Earthwork, 1972, 1’45” | Galerie Thomas Zander
The screening on Tuesday, June 14, is followed by a conversation with Huang Ran.
The screening on Thursday, June 16, is followed by a conversation with Anna Gaskell.

Animated Worlds | Curated by Marc Glöde, Running Time 35′
This program brings together some of the most interesting new and historical trends in animated film. A cross-section of works ranging from clay animation to the latest developments in CAD demonstrates the diversity and aesthetic scope of the medium.
Keiichi Tanaami | Good-Bye Marilyn, 1971, 4’25” | Nanzuka Underground
Per Dybvig | Hunter Hare Dog, 2009-2010, 6’51” | Christine König Galerie
Magnus Wallin | Elements, 2011, 5′ | Galerie Nordenhake, Elastic Gallery
Agnieszka Polska | The Forgetting of Proper Names, 2009, 3’45” | ak Branicka foundation
Józef Robakowski | The Dynamic Rectangle, 1971, 3′ | ak Branicka foundation
Józef Robakowski | Attention: Light!, 2004, 5′ | ak Branicka foundation
Nathalie Djurberg | Untitled, 2010, 6′ 05”, Music by Hans Berg | Gió Marconi Gallery

Dirty Eyes | 2010 | by Lawrence Weiner | Swiss Premiere | Konrad Fischer Galerie, Mai 36 Galerie, Running Time 49′
Lawrence Weiner’s latest film, ‘Dirty Eyes,’ probes cinematic conditions per se. In conjunction with the conceptual text pieces that typify his work, cinematic images transmute into questions about the specific conditions of looking and seeing.
Curated by Marc Glöde
Both screenings are followed by a conversation with Lawrence Weiner and Art Film curator Marc Glöde.

Hallucinations/Paradise | 2010 | by Sam Samore | European Premiere | Galerie Gisela Capitain, Galerie Rodolphe Janssen, Running Time 70′
In his most recent film the American artist Sam Samore tells the story of three couples who have moved from other cities to Shanghai. Oscillating between reality and fiction, the story is told in a non-linear way and reminds the viewer of fragmented fairy tales or dream sequences. Samore describes ‘Hallucinations/Paradise’ as ‘a fable about everyday life, madness, love and Shanghai.’
Curated by Marc Glöde
The screening on Saturday, June 18, is followed by a conversation with Sam Samore and Art Film curator Marc Glöde.

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The Dalí’ Museum, A New Era

In line with Dali’s amazing sense of lines and space, the museum is an  amazing structure in about itself. The ceremony was symbolic of one of the surrealist’s works – and of the birth of a new era for the museum. The $35 million project, on the waterfront just south of Mahaffey Theatre, will contain 66,540-square-feet of exhibit and meeting space. The design features a glass sculpture that flows along the south side of the building. Architect Yann Weymouth said he tried to create an abstract expression of Dali’s style.

Dalí’ Museum Collection

With oils spanning from 1917 through 1970, the collection provides an excellent overview of Dalí’s major themes and symbols. Characterized by its diversity, it includes the Impressionist and Cubist styles of his early period, abstract work from his transition to Surrealism, the famous surrealist canvases for which he is best known, and examples of his preoccupation with religion and science during his classic period.

The 68,000 square feet structure houses the biggest collection of Salvador Dalí’s artwork outside Spain:

a. 2140 pieces of Dalí’s work

    b. 96 oil paintings

    c. Eight master works (measuring over 5′)

It is already called one of the most acclaimed collections of a single modern artist in the world.  The core collection was donated by Cleveland industrialist, A. Reynolds Morse and his wife Eleanor. It represents the culmination of a 45-year friendship between the Morses and Dalí and his wife, Gala. The old Dali museum first opened on March 7, 1982.

A Highlight-  The Curator’s Choice

Le désir hyperrationnel

1984

Pâte de verre and bronze 249/300

This most elegant of Dalí’s Surrealist objects, Le désir hyperrationnel (The hyperrational desire)- utilizes the Venus de Milo, the most famous antiquity in the Louvre. In 1936, Dali created the Venus de Milo with Drawers by cutting six drawers into the famous statue. By perforating the Venus, Dalí engages in the defacement of a classic symbol and demonstrates his preoccupation with Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic theories.
Dalí’s later interpretations are based on his obsession with modern physics and contemporary scientific discoveries. In this new version, Venus’s head and abdomen are "dematerialized" from the body to an adjacent pedestal demonstrating the dissolution of gravity and the divisibility of matter.

Dalí’ Museum Mission

The Museum aims to regularly change exhibitions showcasing the large and varied permanent collection and frequently incorporate historical and contemporary art borrowed from top worldwide museums and collections. A specialized schedule of films, lectures, music series, adult and family friendly tours, and education programs for all ages are developed for each new exhibition.

Photo: HOK/Moris Moreno

The new Dali Museum Opening

Salvador Dali look-alike burst from a giant egg today as part of an elaborate groundbreaking for the city’s new Salvador Dali Museum.

photo/info: www.salvadordalimuseum.org

Reference:

Some of Dali’s Most Famous Works of Art

Dream Caused by the Fligh… Salvador Dali Buy From Art.com

Soft Watch at the Moment of First Exp… Salvador Dal?? Buy From Art.com

Rose Medidative, c.1958 Salvador Dal?? Buy From Art.com

More on Dali/Surrealism

Salvador Dali: Art Surrealism at its Best and Weirdest

Rene Magritte’s Surrealism Meticulous Witty Illusions

Francis Bacon: Painting Sale

Contemporary Art :: Fine Art :: Top Artists :: Art Reviews, Art Fairs & Exhibitions. Copyright , e ART FAIR .com, All Rights Reserved.

As Bacon’s self portraits are widely regarded as some of his most important works and have been called ‘amongst the greatest self-portraits in the history of art’, I’m sure this artwork will help lead the art market out of its current slump.

CBC News reported:

“Christie’s sued over $40M guarantee for Francis Bacon painting

A Florida art collector is suing auction house Christie’s International in New York City, for reneging on a deal to give him the minimum price guarantee of $40 million US for a self-portrait by Irish painter Francis Bacon.

George Weiss filed a lawsuit Friday in a Manhattan federal court for breach of contract and is seeking damages to be determined at trial.

Weiss says Christie’s owes him at least $40 million for his 1964 Study For a Self Portrait by Bacon, which had failed to sell at the November 2008 auction. The bidding topped off at about $27 million.

“For years, the major auction houses, including Christie’s and Sotheby’s, have offered guaranteed price arrangements for select works in order to bring major pieces to market,” Weiss said in the complaint.

“Christie’s reneged upon the minimum price guarantee.”

Documents indicate Weiss was courted last summer by Christie’s and its rival Sotheby’s. In September, Weiss chose Christie’s.

In the same month, the auction house told Weiss it couldn’t fulfil the minimum-bid guarantee, citing “the changed climate of the art market.”

Prices for works of art have tumbled in light of the world economic crisis.

Market for Art by Francis Bacon

Prior to that, the market for Bacon’s works was hot. A 1978 Bacon self-portrait sold for more than $42 million US in London in June 2007, while a 1976 triptych was sold for $86 million in May 2008.

Bacon died in Madrid in 1992.”

Francis Bacon – What’s Next

A complete biography of Francis Bacon will be published soon at eArtfair.com/blog.

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La Trahison des Images Rene Magritte

Exactly two years ago I was lucky to see a wonderful show at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) by surrealist painter and sculpture, René Magritte. I loved seeing so many of his works first hand, that, as today marks his 110th birthday, I thought to write about him and his work.

La Chateau des Pyrenees Rene Magritte

Uniquely Magritte

What sets Magritte apart is his masterful ability to mix wit with illusion in thought-provoking imagery. His dreamlike paintings are meticulous. They remind you of a documentary on the subject.

By placing ordinary objects in unusual contexts and by juxtaposing or overlaying reality and illusion, Rene gave new meaning to familiar things and challenged our beliefs, perceptions and realities. In particular, Magritte’s surrealism fooled our sense of time and space.

There are two branches of surrealism: one created realistic representations of dream-like states; the other preferred an abstract style. Magritte was clearly a master of representational surrealism.

“If the dream is a translation of waking life, waking life is also a translation of the dream.”

While Magritte did not draw upon dreams, the state of pre-consciousness (just before you wake up) was important to him.

“My painting is visible images which conceal nothing… they evoke mystery and indeed when one sees one of my pictures, one asks oneself this simple question ‘What does that mean’? It does not mean anything, because mystery means nothing either, it is unknowable.”

“People who look for symbolic meanings fail to grasp the inherent poetry and mystery of the image…. The images must be seen such as they are.”

~ René Magritte about his art.

La Chambre d’ecoute, c.1958 Rene Magritte

Technically as well as philosophically, Magritte’s painting was genial. For example, the pipe in ‘La trahison des images’ does not look and feel as a real pipe, but rather as a model pipe for a tobacco advertisement. Indeed, c’est ne past une pipe ~ it is a reflection of a pipe.

Similarly, Magritte painted his apple in ‘La Chambre d’ecoute’ realistically. Then, he denied that it was real, by framing & captioning it. While realistic art can appear to be real, it is not real, Magritte seems to say. It is just a representation or a reflection of reality.

While Magritte is mostly known for his paintings, he also made sculptures which ranged dramatically in size.

There are small wooden pipe boxes with a model pipe in it and with a small pipe & capture painting on the lid. In a similar way, did he create a small glass cheese dome with a painted plaque inside “Ceci est un morceau de fromage”.

On the other hand, he created say 4-5 meter high bronze sculptures (like the one in the Getty museum). These sculptures directly complemented his paintings.

La Golconde Rene Magritte

René Magritte – Biography

Magritte was born in Lessines, Hainaut in Belgium, but the family moved to Charleloi right after his mother drowned, and then to Brussels.

The sight of her corpse with her dress covering her face is said to have influenced his work. Magritte actually disputed this. Consciously, he often purposefully blocked a subject’s face with a suspended object to challenge human assumptions about the unknown.

Unlike surrealist Dali, Magritte led a ‘normal’ rather than an extravagant life. Magritte basically was a middle-class working man, who painted at his kitchen table. Like a good citizen, Magritte did his military service in 1921. When he returned, the 23-year-old Magritte married Georgette Berger in 1922. In 1940, Magritte moved with his wife to Carcassone, in the south of France. When Magritte died in 1967, he was buried ‘back home’, in Brussels.

René Margritte – Artistic Development

René Magritte started early. He began drawing classes at age 12. He studied intermittently between 1916 and 1918 at the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels. Magritte first exhibited at the Centre d’Art in Brussels in 1920.

Until the blessed day that Magritte landed the contract with Galerie la Centaure in Brussels, enabling him to paint full-time, he worked for a wallpaper factory. He designed wallpapers, posters, and advertising. 1923 marks the year that he sold his very first painting. It was a portrait of singer Evelyne Brélia.

Magritte made his first surreal painting, ‘Le jockey perdu’, in 1926. That was eight years after he left the academy.

He had his first solo exhibition at Galerie la Centaure in 1927. However, the Brussels art world had not been ready for Magritte’s work at that time and critics shunned the art exhibition.

In a way this was fortunate, as Magritte moved to Paris for three years as a result. There, he frequented the Surrealist circle, which included Jean Arp, André Breton, Salvador Dalí, Paul Eluard, and Joan Miró. This deepened his understanding of surrealism, and positively affected his artistic style. In 1928 Magritte took part in the Exposition surréaliste at the Galerie Goemans in Paris.

Magritte moved back to Brussels in 1930 when his contract income ended. The Galerie la Centaure had closed. He resumed his prior career in advertising, and formed an agency with his brother.

Le Modele Rouge, c.1935 Rene Magritte

In 1933 was given a solo show at the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels. In the ’40s Magritte often showed at the Galerie Dietrich in Brussels. During the following two decades he executed various mural commissions in Belgium.

Magritte did not always paint in his style that he is most famed for. For a few years, starting in 1943, Magritte actually tried out a new style of painting. It was called “Renoir” or “Solar” style. He painted in this way, alongside with his main style. However, when Magritte showed his new style in 1948 in an exhibition at the Galerie du Faubourg, in Paris, his audience was startled. So Magritte decided to give up this new way of painting.

A Magritte retrospectives was held in 1954 at the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels.

René Magritte – International Shows, Support & Fame

In 1929, the Magritte family was invited to stay at the Dali’s in Cadaquès, Spain. There, he contributed to the “Révolution Surréaliste”, and he paints the first version of “The treachery of Images”.

Magritte’s first solo exhibition in the US was at the Julien Levy Gallery in New York in 1936. In that same year, he was also represented in the Fantastic Art, Dada, Surrealism exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

In 1937, surrealist art patron and poet, Edward James, enabled Margritte to paint large canvasses in London. His first show in England was at the London Gallery in 1938.

From 1953 he exhibited frequently at the galleries of Alexander Iolas in New York, Paris, and Geneva.

Two more Magritte Retrospectives were held in 1960 in the US at the Museum for Contemporary Arts in Dallas and the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston.

Magritte’s work was exhibited again in New York in two retrospective exhibitions, one at the Museum of Modern Art in 1965, and the other at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1992.

The Son of Man, 1964 Rene Magritte

René Magritte – Peaking Popularity

While Magritte’s talent and important artistic contributions were recognized early on in his career, popular awareness and interest in Magritte’s work boomed later in his life, in the ’60s. His advertising background had helped him throughout his artistic career, and also then: the increase in popularity in the ’60′s was in part brought about by reproductions of his works featured on rock album covers!

Throughout the ’60s, René Magritte traveled through Europe, the US and beyond. He either visited influential artistic friends (André Breton, Marcel Duchamp, Max Ernst and Man Ray and others) in Paris, or took family vacations in Italy or France. He explore places like Israel.

And last but not least, he attended his own international (retrospective) art shows. In 1965 Magritte traveled to the US for the first time for his retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Just before Magritte died, he had opened a major exhibition of his work at the Museum Boymans-van Beuningen in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

René Magritte – The Inspiration

Throughout his art career and afterwards, René Magritte has been an unusually influential artist. His imagery has influenced pop, minimalist and conceptual art.

Actually, the 2006 LACMA exhibition on Magritte that I mentioned earlier showcased this influence. It illustrated how Margritte had influenced contemporary artists by presenting the inspired artworks side by side with the inspiring source-paintings of Magritte.

Amongst the artists inspired by Magritte, were John Baldessari (who incidentally had designed this LACMA show), Sherrie Levine, Ed Ruscha, Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, Vija Celmins, Marcel Broodthaers, Martin Kippenberger, and others.

He also influenced many musicians, movie directors and video game producers. Numerous films, games, and albums have included imagery inspired by Magritte.

by A. Lee

© Copyright eArtfair.com 2008 – all rights reserved

Learn More

The life of Joan Miro
Video of Joan Miro paintings/
Salvador Dali’s paintings
Salvador Dali’s art surrealism at its best and weirdest/
Modern art movements
Best art museums in Europe/

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Surrealism was a movement in the art and intellectual activities, emerged after World War I. Andre Breton, was the founder of the surrealistic concepts and he has gathered the influence from the Dande movement. Surrealism is actually the real expression of mental emotions, without any polishing. Andre Breton describes surrealism in Surrealist Manifesto, as the pure psychic automatism expressed in the real functionality of a person. Surrealistic art forms characteristically differ from the conventional forms in not having specific shape or idea. It can be the expression of basic human instinct and imaginative faculties of the unconscious mind. But, when surrealism comes to photography, the critics did not even imagine such a possibility. However, “Marquise Casati” by Man Ray, made a change to the belief, as it featured multiple eyes for the photograph. Even though, it was an accidental blurring, it proved the chances for the feasibility of surrealistic works.

Man Ray and Lee Miller are considered as legends in surrealistic photography as they were very successful to overcome the limitations of photography to create surrealistic images. Maurice Tabard is another famous surrealist, who had his own technique for surrealistic imaging. Hans Bellmer creatively used mechanical dolls to symbolize sexualized images, where as for Rene Magritte camera was the tool to make photographic equivalents of his paintings.

Surrealist photographs are described as the images, which symbolically represent dreams, night mares, intoxication, sexual ecstasy, hallucination and madness. The difficulty with photography medium is that it imbibes the reality, and often the real images cannot be sufficient to express such unconventional patterns. But, the famous surrealist photographers are able to fulfill the task since they can use the photographic techniques effectively. The ordinary snapshots, body photographs, anthropological photographs, medical photographs, movie stills, and even police photographs are manipulated to create the impression of surrealist images in the photographs.

Surrealism in photography is mainly performed using the different techniques. The differential techniques of light and lenses can itself be the primary technique for surrealism. Photomontage is one of the popular processing techniques, in which the several images are coupled together. In photogram, a photographic paper can be used instead of camera to imprint the image. The images produced by the flush of light can create amazing images that has a surrealistic look.

Multiple exposure is another technique for surrealism, in which the camera is clicked twice or more, without rolling the negative. The second image will be superimposed on the first image and the final product will be an undefined mixture of both. Cliche verre or glass negative is the surrealistic technique that uses negative coated from glass plate.

Anyhow, solarization or Sabattier effect seems to be the most remarkable technique for surrealism. It produces dramatic effect of patterns through the flushing of the light on the photograph, while developing in the darkroom. It was discovered by Lee Miller, which have selective reversal of highlights and shadows. The light and dark areas with the distinct line of reversal make it most appropriate for surrealism.

Surrealism in photography has progressed much from its primitive stages. The new technology and lenses offer immense opportunity to the new generation photographers to portray their mental emotions in the frame of cameras.

By Domen Lombergar

Domen Lombergar is a surrealist artist who runs a surrealism portal trying to bring the idea of surrealism to the public.

Contemporary Art :: Fine Art :: Top Artists :: Art Reviews, Art Fairs & Exhibitions. Copyright , e ART FAIR .com, All Rights Reserved.

He did not immediately become an artist. He chose to settle in Paris and learn to become a stockbroker. At 35, much to his family surprise, Paul gave up his career to devote his life to painting in order to show the simple beauty he saw in the lives of primitive peoples. He was quite accustomed to success and believed that he would succeed in painting. Unfortunately, his wife saw it as an unnecessary indulgence and never forgave him for a “selfish” decision. Years later, the couple separated.

Paul had always enjoyed the art of the French artists known as the impressionists. He took up painting right away and in 1818 he exhibited his works with other impressionists. However, the reality of living an artist’s life shocked Gauguin. He enjoyed his former comforts so much that he had difficulty adjusting to his new life in poverty. By 1886, the expense and pressure of city life had become so demanding that Gauguin decided to leave Paris and live in an artist’s colony in Brittany. After a year, he decided to travel to Panama where he worked as a laborer. Then he went to the tropics, to Martinique, where he lived and painted in freedom. However, after a year of living in Martinique, Gauguin was forced to return to Brittany, penniless and quite ill.

In October, 1888 he visited another famous artist, Vincent van Gogh, in the latter’s home in Arles, France. Gauguin’s stay with Van Gogh proved to be a powerful collaboration of sorts; it was said that they frequently disagreed and were distressing to live with. On good days, however, they managed to learn from each other and produced some of their best work during these times. It is said that Gauguin returned to Paris after Van Gogh’s “incident”. Gauguin slowly broke away form the impressionist movement and painted “Vision after the Sermon”, where he attempted to externalize the feelings of his subjects. This painting is important in his career because it ushered in a new style that is now called “Symbolism”.

However, it was a combination of the beautiful surroundings of Brittany and his exotic voyages that led them to develop his own unique style. Gauguin devoted his time painting portraits, landscapes and still lifes as simple forms in pure and intense colors surrounded by black outlines. Many critics remark that the graceful mess and simplicity of the painting is communicating the artist’s strongest feelings towards the exotic and the natural.

In 1891, Gauguin saved enough money to go to the primitive South Sea island of Tahiti. At first, the artist was extremely happy in the midst of the forests, the strange flora and fauna and the island’s beautiful people. He decided to stay and share the simple life of the natives from there on. However, throughout his stay, Gauguin was tormented by severe depression and tried to battle drug addiction.

Most of Gauguin’s paintings capture the beauty of Tahitian culture and its women, but seemed to show that the artist was really not completely happy nor understood in this primitive society. After many years of poverty and sickness, Gauguin died from heart failure, alone and unaware of the mark his art would later make on the 20th century.

By Michael Russell

Michael Russell: Your Independent guide to Arts

Miró’s surrealistiic art work has been interpreted as a sandbox for the subconscious mind, a re-creation of the childlike, and a manifestation of Catalan pride. Miró expressed contempt for conventional painting methods, favoring more contemporary means of expression.

This video shows a nice oeuvre of his work:

Whether you are a fan of the eccentric Salvador Dali or not, most everyone agrees his work is brilliant in its scope and intense imagination. Salvador Dali started his life as a reincarnation of his brother also named Salvador. At the age of 5 Dali was taken to his brother’s grave and began to believe this strange tale as told by his parents. Thus influenced the thinking of the enigmatic and unique existence of the greatest surrealist painter the world had ever seen.

At the age of 10 Salvador Dali began to paint and at age 12 he received his first formal training by attending Municipal Drawing School. At drawing school Dali learned professional techniques of painting, drafting and engraving. At age 13 Dali had his first exhibition when his father, also named Salvador, put on a show of his in his charcoal drawings in the family home.

While his first art exhibition was a turning point in his life, Dali was also deeply affected by the death of his mother to breast cancer when he was only 16 years old. He worshiped his mother and said that her loss, “was the greatest blow I had ever experienced.”

Dali moved to Madrid in 1922 to attend the San Fernando School of Fine Arts where he first experimented in Cubism from which he received the most attention by his fellow students. Dali never finished his formal education as he was expelled shortly before graduation in 1926. His expulsion stemmed from stating none of the faculty was sufficiently skilled to judge his work. His famous Basket Of Bread painted around this time left no doubt as to the skill Dali had as an artist.

In 1931 Dali painted The Persistence of Memory which defines him to this day and is arguably his most famous work. In an exhibition in New York in 1934 Persistence created a huge sensation and propelled him to superstardom in the art world. The melting clocks debunked our rigid assumption that time is linear and connected Dali with Einstein and his later more scientific styled works.

Dali’s marriage to his long time companion Gala also in 1934 made this year one of the most pivotal in his life. He and Gala were inseparable and although Dali’s critics were at times dismissive of him because of his flamboyant and eccentric personality, Gala never tired of him. They moved to the United States and live here for 8 years ending in 1949. While in the States Dali returned to his Catholic roots and his art became much more reverent. Gala’s death in 1982 caused Dali to lose his will to go on and he died six and a half years later at the age of 84.

During Dali’s brilliant art career he painted more than 1,500 paintings, illustrated many books, produced a voluminous number of drawings, designed sculptures, was involved in designing theater sets, animated a cartoon for Walt Disney and was involved in many other projects too numerous to list.

As much as Dali is remembered for his art, he is also remembered for his strange and at times disruptive personality. His odd behavior can be looked at today as brilliant marketing. We might not have known of Dali’s art quite as much had he not had the flamboyant personality he so vividly displayed. His iconic moustache and wide eyed gaze were his trademark expression. His eccentric showmanship was displayed no greater than when he showed up at a lecture on surrealism dressed in a scuba suit while the guests were dressed in formal evening attire.

The personality of Salvador Dali is gone today, yet we still have access to his immense body of work in museums and private collections throughout the world. Two of the largest collections of Dali’s work are always on display at either the Dalí Theatre and Museum in Catalonia, Spain or at the Morse Museum in St Petersburg, Florida. In the minds of his fans and at these and other artistic venues, Salvador Dali will always be remembered.

By author Alan LeStourgeon

Alan LeStourgeon runs The Dali Code website where you can find Salvador Dali art as well as Salvador Dali collectible books up for auction.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alan_LeStourgeon