The Moderna Museet in Stockholm - which is, by the way, one of the best of its kind in the world - is undertaking the noble act of hosting a Salvador Dali exhibition (Dalí Dalí). Dali is one of my absolute favourite artists of all time. There is something almost enlightening in the way the man became the eccentric artist persona he was known for.
A big part of Salvador Dali's art was himself. I remember reading from somewhere (some old biography??) that he would have once said that you can earn a meager living by working hard, or alternatively, you can be fed caviar by rich ladies on a daily basis by being an artist. Whatever the truth, this veteran of the surrealist movement set out to become something larger than life, and while being a highly productive artist producing not only paintings but also designing dresses and jewellery, working in advertising, movies et cetera, a major part of his commercial success (which led to him being named as Avida Dollars - eager for dollars, that is) was undeniably due to his own super-eccentric persona.
So, what makes an artist? The eyepatch with an eye? A moustache that points optimistically up towards the Lord? Holding a lecture titled "Fantomes paranoiaques authentiques" while wearing the old type diving suit with a heavy metal helmet while holding a billiard cue, almost suffocating and then being saved by the audience who finally realized that something is very wrong (as the lecturer struggles wildly)? Who had the habit of masturbating behind a curtain during the parties he hosted?
I dont have the answer to that question. But his paintings are excellent. There is simply nothing boring or conventional in his work. Or life.
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