Salvador Dalí was one of the most influential painters of the 20th century. Known for iconic surrealistic paintings and bizarre self-promotional antics, Dalí created a legacy that extends into modern pop culture. While most of his antics were widely publicised, there is much about the famous artist that is not known to the public. Here are some interesting facts about the artistic icon.
He Worked with Alfred Hitchcock and Walt Disney
In the early 1940’s Alfred Hitchcock commissioned Salvador Dalí to help create a dream sequence for the 1945 movie “Spellbound”. Later he was approached by Walt Disney to work on an animated film called Destino. The artist created 22 oil paintings that were turned into storyboards for the film. Financial strains caused a halt to the proceedings, and only a 15 second demo reel was made.
He Made a Book About His Moustache
It may not be so bizarre if you consider the owner of the moustache. Dalí’s famous facial hair was as much part of his persona as his paintings. In 1954, the artist collaborated with photographer Philippe Halsman to publish a book about his moustache. It featured 28 striking images of his famous swirly locks and is considered a cult collector’s item to this day.
He Designed Women’s Swimsuits
Dalí was not above doing commercial work, and punted his skills in almost every facet of art and design. If casino games had been around then, you can almost bet that he would have leant his artistic talent to designing these too.
He also moonlighted as a fashion designer and brought his iconic surrealistic style to women’s bathing suits. He collaborated with fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli with surprising results, like the lobster-print dress, the bikini with the inflatable baseball catcher, a shoe hat, and a dress with large drawer pockets.
He Thought He Was the Reincarnation of His Dead Brother
Dalí’s father was named Salvador, as was his older brother who died less than a year before he was born. His parents told him he was his brother’s reincarnation, a belief he adopted for the rest of his life. His brother features in much of his later work.
He Was Not Respected by Surrealists
To say that Dalí was controversial is a bit of an understatement. However, when it comes to surrealism, he was truly a master of his craft. This was not a view shared by his fellow surrealist painters at the time. He came under attack for his fascist views and apparent disregard for communism. It was proposed that he was removed from the surrealism movement.
He Did Not Take Drugs
The images, colours and concepts created by Dalí were inspiring, bizarre and revolutionary. Many thought that such symbolism could only come from the mind of a man tripped out on whatever fashionable drug was doing the rounds. In fact, Dalí did not do drugs and famously said “I don’t do drugs, I am drugs.” His creatively stemmed from a type of induced hallucinogenic state, something he called paranoiac-critical method. One example he cited was to stare at an object relentlessly until it transformed into something else.
