Dali on Religion & Faith as Expressed in Art

Crucifixion (Corpus Hypercubist)

The Basket of Bread

He spent his life as a radical, disruptive, innovative and brilliantly extravagant artist. His life style was equal parts showman and creative genius. Many thought him mad but he was crazy in the best of ways; “like the proverbial fox.” You might think that such a man in death would be quietly at peace…not the surrealist master; Dali! His body was exhumed just this past Thursday (his famous mustache remaining gloriously intact.) It seems a sixty plus year old woman believes she is Dali’s child. She is looking to be compensated; hoping to find a DNA match. The Great Salvador Dali continues to stir up the world, even in death he rises.

Pardon me for changing gears to a point; but my original intention for this blog was to make note of the of the man’s religiosity as expressed in his art, particularly in his paintings. He excelled in his efforts like no other of his generation. There were others including Marc Chagall, Emil Nolde and Stanly Spencer that painted Christian themes among their works, yet Dali achieved a power that remains unmatched. 

The Dream of Christopher Columbus

His painting’s subjects and themes include The Crucifixion of Christ; The Holy Virgin, The Madonna and Child, The Last Supper and even the religious zeal of Christopher Columbus. Dali’s work “Basket of Bread” was considered in his mind to be his most surrealistic endeavor. It spoke to the Eucharistic as expressed in The Holy Communion. Life as journey is allegorically viewed in his painting “Phantom Chariot” the message is akin to John Bunyan’s “Pilgrim’s Progress.”  Again; his crucifixions were literal and technical interpretations of the event of Jesus’ death and subsequent resurrection. These works; as masterful and as great as any from time immemorial.

Phantom Chariot

The Old Testament’s Book of Ecclesiastes 3 talks about the importance of time as it unfolds within the span of our human life and physical existence. It states there is a time and a season for every activity under the heavens:

a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace.

Melting Clock

                                                   

 Dali first addressed the passage of time in one of his highly referenced and signature works “The Persistence of Memory.” Among the most striking elements of the piece is the inclusion of the melting, lilting clocks and watches. These can likely be viewed as an interpretation of the temporal, declining nature of life. When asked about their meaning Dali replied “…the soft watches were inspired by the surrealist perception of a Camembert (cheese) melting in the sun. Life is as much as anything a series and process of gradual and eventual decay and finality. Dali would return to images of “melting clocks” on numerous occasions as surreal expressions along with other multiple symbolic imagery. 

Christ of St. John of the Cross

Salvador Dali continues to amaze and inform as we discover freshness to his life and works. We await his latest verdict as we applaud his grand visionary performances. The Magnificent Dali; the Eternal Dali, the Servant Dali.  

                                                

Salvador Dali Quotes

“Have no fear of perfection - you'll never reach it.” 

“A true artist is not one who is inspired, but one who inspires others.” 

“Surrealism is destructive, but it destroys only what it considers to be shackles limiting our vision.” 

“Every morning when I wake up, I experience an exquisite joy —the joy of being Salvador Dalí— and I ask myself in rapture: What wonderful things is this Salvador Dalí going to accomplish today?” 

Alien

 When director Ridley Scott sought to create something magnificently horrific and challenging for film viewers at the dawning of the “Star Wars” era of film he looked to artists including; Chris Foss, Moebius  and  most strikingly Swiss Surrealist H.R. Giger. The works of Giger were unequaled in terms of their scope; sense of dread, ability to repulse as they equally intrigued and encaptured his viewers. They are with every possibility the purest examples of nightmares ever put to canvas or screen. Giger’s monochromatic creations were very much driven by his own sleep disorder (night terrors) as by his rich imagination. Giger is a technically skilled artist and draftsman with a style almost completely unto himself. There is only one H.R. Giger.

The creations and designs of Giger possess a quality of things emanating from the mind and heart of a madman. His works can be difficult for most viewers. He has referred to the hopelessly insane as being a large portion of his audience. His pieces are as many times representational of eroticism as they are a combination of a repressed violence. They are often composition of the demonic; distantly removed from anything remotely of the saints. What artist could be better suited to contribute to the horror genre films of the late 20^th Century?  

“Bio-Mechanical” is a term Giger often used to describe his own creations. In that too he was singular as I know of no other artist fitting into Giger’s self-titled genre. He was able within his career to expand on many forms of creativity and cross markets. He was first of all a painter (nothing short of a master) and after that he included set design, sculpture and film director. He was very much ingrained in the music field; often as a commissioned artist. Emerson Lake and Palmer, Debbie Harry and many other musicians used Giger’s works for memorable album covers. He inspired video games and calendars while fans are noted for adorning their various body parts with Giger tattoos. His architecturally informed creations decorate interiors for night clubs and restaurants. Giger is many times over a force in the art worlds variously articulated commodities and structures.  

Earlier this week on May 12^th Hans Rudolph Giger passed away from the earth. Giger was 74 years old and still engaged with his art.  His alien is one of the most terrifying creatures ever preserved on film. He will best be remembered for his alien and the sets he designed for the original Ridley Sott film. 

Humanity has looked to the darkness for generations; most often in fear. It is the keeper of mystery and visions of irrational dread. Giger shared with us his own nightmare scenarios and images in the form of stories. In that he is linked to the ages.  By taking us eerily and endearingly into his nightmares he entertained us and helped us understand and live within our own.