Salvador Dali Belief System
Salvador Dali – Explore and analyse the metamorphosis of Dali’s belief system through his art
Salvador Dali was an artist; known not only for his tremendous artistic talent and flamboyant and eccentric personality, but also for the greater meaning he entwined into his art. His contrasting beliefs led to an interesting metamorphosis of his belief system. Dali struggled between religion and science, due to conflicting family influences from his childhood and personal experiences which he would go on to endeavour in life. Dali’s initial works commenced by experimenting specifically with scientific themes and ideas, which can be noted in one his most famous paintings; The Persistence of Memory (1931). However as his life progressed, Dali’s new reincarnated interest in religion, mysticism and metaphysics led him to believe that religion and science co-exist simultaneously, which he portrayed through his artwork.
Dali developed conflicting views regarding religion from a very young age. The artist grew up in a household where his mother’s family were devout Catholics; however his father was a firm atheist. Dali’s early views on religion were explicitly expressed in his drawing Sometimes I spit with Pleasure on the Portrait of my Mother (The Sacred Heart) (1929). This abstract themed drawing of what appears to be the silhouette of Jesus Christ is incredibly blasphemous. The hand written “Parfois Je crache pour plaisir sur la portrait de ma mère “literally translates to “Sometimes I spit with pleasure on the portrait of my mother”. The drawing is done in black ink on a plain white canvas. This simple colour scheme proves to be very effective, as it delivers the message very clearly and graphically. However, the simple nature of this particular drawing reflects what artists and literary figures from previous generations would have potentially branded as a “simple” and “earthly” mind due to the lack of belief in religion and one’s higher self. The style of writing could
Salvador Dali was an artist; known not only for his tremendous artistic talent and flamboyant and eccentric personality, but also for the greater meaning he entwined into his art. His contrasting beliefs led to an interesting metamorphosis of his belief system. Dali struggled between religion and science, due to conflicting family influences from his childhood and personal experiences which he would go on to endeavour in life. Dali’s initial works commenced by experimenting specifically with scientific themes and ideas, which can be noted in one his most famous paintings; The Persistence of Memory (1931). However as his life progressed, Dali’s new reincarnated interest in religion, mysticism and metaphysics led him to believe that religion and science co-exist simultaneously, which he portrayed through his artwork.
Dali developed conflicting views regarding religion from a very young age. The artist grew up in a household where his mother’s family were devout Catholics; however his father was a firm atheist. Dali’s early views on religion were explicitly expressed in his drawing Sometimes I spit with Pleasure on the Portrait of my Mother (The Sacred Heart) (1929). This abstract themed drawing of what appears to be the silhouette of Jesus Christ is incredibly blasphemous. The hand written “Parfois Je crache pour plaisir sur la portrait de ma mère “literally translates to “Sometimes I spit with pleasure on the portrait of my mother”. The drawing is done in black ink on a plain white canvas. This simple colour scheme proves to be very effective, as it delivers the message very clearly and graphically. However, the simple nature of this particular drawing reflects what artists and literary figures from previous generations would have potentially branded as a “simple” and “earthly” mind due to the lack of belief in religion and one’s higher self. The style of writing could
Bibliography: Salvador Dalí, Anti-Matter Manifesto, Carstairs Gallery, New York, December 1958 – January 1959, quoted in Elliott H. King, ‘Nuclear Mysticism’, Salvador Dalí: Liquid Desire, p. 247 Centre Pompidou, 2007 - http://www.centrepompidou.fr/education/ressources/ENS-surrealistart-EN/ENS-surrealistart-EN.htm Art History Archive http://www.arthistoryarchive.com/arthistory/surrealism/Origins-of-Surrealism.html Dali Dimension: Decoding the mind of a genius; 2008; Director: Suis Marqua, Joan Ubeda Dali, S,1993, The Secret Life of Salvador Dali, Dover Publications Neret,G, 2001, Dali: The Paintings, Taschen Wikipedia