Product Description
Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Coherant Delirum
This book gives a very interesting look into a brillant personality.You might spend more time getting through the vocabulary, phasing and references, given the book was written in the 40's and translated, but worth every minute."Manic Eyeball" is an easier read but almost like seeing the movie in comparison.Afer reading this, you will almost understand the delirous and repetitive use of symbols in his art and you will be charmed by his madness from a safe distance.

I admired Dali until I read this book
First of all, let me state that I still really admire Dali's undeniably talented and very imaginative work as an artist. At the time of writing this review, I can still honestly say that Salvador Dali is my favorite visual artist qua artist. However, I never realized how truly horrible of a person he is until I have read this book. In this book, you will find Dali gleefully describing, without any hint of remorse, how he would kick his baby sister in the head amongst other passages where Dali is obviously trying to make the reader uncomfortable, such as his extensive description of getting a piece of dried mucus lodged under his fingernail.

Reading this book really has solidified my perception of Salvador Dali as the kind of individual who takes great pleasure in deliberately confusing, fooling or repulsing an audience. Reading this book will not provide you with insight on the motivation behind Dali's works nor will it offer an honest portrayal of his life. Instead, it will just be an extensive lesson in how Dali would entertain an audience through narration. Sometimes his anecdotes can be quite amusing, which suggests that this book is appropriate for truly devoted fans of the great surrealist. However, I personally found it to be too unpleasant to recommend.

"The only difference between me and a madman is that I'm not insane."
Genius isn't pretty, if we are to deduce that this revelation of the secret life of Salvador Dali is representative of the inner reality of genius in general. For certain, genuine creation isn't pretty, as anyone who's ever witnessed childbirth might attest: it's accomplished by blood, obscenity, mucous, hysterics, farts, and pain. Out of such undifferentiated chaos does one mold the miracle of his creation. So in *The Secret Life of Salvador Dali* we get the "confession" of a man whose life from earliest childhood is replete with incidents, fantasies, attitudes, and behaviors that can only be considered pathological.

But then how much of this memoir is "real" and how much artistic hyperbole is a question open to debate. For Dali consciously mythologizes his life and makes no secret of the fact that much of his "secret life" may not have actually taken place except in his imagination. "The difference," he writes, "between false memories and true ones is the same as for jewels: it is always the false ones that look the most real, the most brilliant." And shortly afterwards he writes of his life that the "all-powerful sway of reverie and myth began to mingle in such a continuous and imperious way with the life of every moment that later it has often become impossible for me to know where reality begins and the imaginary ends." This is Dali's way of winking at the reader--and yet it's an ambiguous wink at best.

For what must always be remembered is that for Dali, the imagination is every bit as "real" in its impact, just as material and plastic, as any historical or anecdotal fact of existence--if anything, the hyper-intensity of Dali's imagination gives his reveries even greater reality. And so Dali, by his own estimation the only true surrealist, presents the story of the first half of his life in its entirety: that's to say, the dreams, visions, and fantasies are given equal weight as the people, facts, and circumstances of conventional autobiography. For the former interact with the latter to produce the uninterrupted "surreality" of the individual life. A man, for instance, who dreams that his best friend has murdered him in his sleep and taken his wife to bed cannot possibly--whether conscious of the fact or not--have lunch with that same friend the next afternoon without his perceptions being altered, right down to his autonomic biological responses, in a very concrete way.

Perhaps the best way to read *The Secret Life of Salvador Dali* is as a kind of absurdist novel about the life and ideas of an eccentric, legendary painter named Salvador Dali. For, indeed, this book very often reads like fiction, studded as it is with bizarre episodes worthy of Kafka or Poe. And yet there is also a good deal of Dali's very down-to-earth philosophy of art in this book: his championing of technique, craft, and discipline, and of the renaissance spirit of the great masters who he admires. These attitudesmight surprise many who think of Dali solely as the revolutionary and iconoclastic wild man of surrealism.

Although he's since become synonymous with surrealism, Dali actually considered himself a traditionalist and what made him a real "revolutionary" and ultimately more surreal than the surrealists was, in his view, the fact that he aligned himself with the most conservative aspects of his artistic craft and his Spanish-European-Catholic roots. In fact, it may come as something of a shock to some to find Dali railing against the dissolution of form, of abstraction, of undisciplined experimentation, of the laziness of modern art. From the opening pages when he bombastically declares with mock seriousness his disgust for the formless mush of spinach and his admiration of the rigorous solidity of shellfish, Dali separates himself from the leveling movements in contemporary art, politics, and society, most of which he consigns to the oblivion of the mulch from which the hierarchic tree of a society of true individuals, of the royalty of spirit, art, and culture will inevitably be reborn. Tradition may be chopped down, trampled, burned to ash...but the roots go deeper than revolution. Tradition never dies. Therefore, Dali sides with tradition.

Written when he was barely 38 years old and thus comprising less than half of what would be his allotted life, *The Secret Life* has the feel of a complete autobiography composed from the sober vantage point of the old age Dali cherished and aspired to even as a young man. The text itself is beautifully written/translated--a prose masterpiece of surrealistic metaphor and absurdist hyperbole. An excellent, thought-provoking, and fascinating book from any number of perspectives, *The Secret Life of Salvador Dali* is every bit as unsettling, paradoxical, elusive, contrary, and, ultimately, beautiful, as the paintings for which Dali is so well-known, so misunderstood, and so famous.

Wowzers
I don't write many 5 star reviews, but I really really liked this book. It is truly a peek into a brilliant mind. As an artist, it is impossible for me to read this book and not be inspired. As usual, Dali has his fun with the audience, but that only adds to the greatness of this work.

Certainly Original
So original and bizarre, the first half of the book should be made into a movie. ... Read more

Product Description
A seminal surrealist text, revealing the astonishing and intimate workings of the mind of Salvador Dali, the eccentric polymath genius who became the living embodiment of the 20th century’s most subversive, disturbing and influential art movement. This second volume of Dali’s autobiography covers his life from 1952 to 1963, the time of amour fou for his wife Gala and their bizarre world travels. This is Dali’s "rhinocerontic" period, and he preaches post-holocaustal gospels of nuclear mysticism and cosmogenic atavism leading to his painting of the Assumption and his film script, The Flesh Wheelbarrow. This new, expanded edition includes a brilliant revelatory essay on the importance of Dali’s art to the 20th century by the seminal author J G Ballard. Illustrated throughout.

The only edition to buy. -- The London Times

Dali’s paintings reveal in the most powerful form the basic elements of the Surrealist imagination: a series of equations for dealing with the extraordinary transformations of our age. Let us salute this unique genius. -- J G Ballard ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

Tiresome
This is a far cry from the inspired, megalomaniacal lyricism of 'The Secret Life' (flip through the passages on America, which rival Apollinaire in their infectiously effusive enthusiasm). Instead, what we have here is an 'anecdotic' (Dalian neologism), haphazard pasti...che of pseudo-Jarryian slapstick, right-wing posturing and pointless self-aggrandizement. The sole redeeming section of the book, which speaks about Dali's relationship with Rene Crevel, is, as one might expect, refracted through Dali's emotional evasiveness and dissimulation. The rest of this book, it has to be said, is flimsy and insubstantial.

Also of marginal interest are his rather fragmentary notes on his rupture with the Surrealists- again, as with his intimations on Lorca and Crevel, one discerns between the lines a muted admiration for Breton that persisted throughout Dali's life, suggesting the ambivalence and guilt that Dali felt toward the Surrealist movement following his expulsion. I believe this gives the lie to Dali's repeated insistence that Surrealism was an asphyxiating straitjacket that he outgrew over time. It is perhaps tragic that we learn very little about other people in Dali's scribblings, so inexorable is his need to reduce others to being mere signposts punctuating his interminable pilgrimage toward genius. What results is a solipsistic slew of hackneyed jokes, an endless gag reel with canned laughter.

very quick delivery
I was excited to see I got the book within a few days of ordering. Also, it was in excellent condition.

Review on "Diary of a Genius"
From 1952 to 1963, Salvador Dali kept a journal, a diary of his thoughts, creative reasoning's, and mindful tangents. In a matter of several hours and 186 pages, I feel as if I have delved far into the mind of a man whose entire life is either nonsense blathering of the brain or philosophical wonders reaching far beyond my own capacities of comprehension. While Diary of a Genius did not keep me in suspense, give me nightmares or have me in tears, the book did touch a part of my brain that doesn't get triggered very often, let alone four hours straight.
Dali writes daily entries into his diary discussing off-the-wall realizations, urges, drives, and adorations. One of the most interesting aspects of the book was to read the very intimate words of one of the most renowned surrealist painters in the world. Dali talks of his process in working on many pieces in a day-by-day account of his struggles and conquests in painting. He is fueled mainly by his love for his wife Gala, but also by the incisive apprehension and dissection of oddities accumulating in his head. He talks of his bowel movements, his intrigue in Hitler, his subconscious representation of rhinoceros horns, and his love of elephant skulls in the summer.
Diary of a Genius was, in short, an interesting read that kept me entertained for a short period of time. I am much more knowledgeable of Dali himself and will look at his work now with a new understanding of the peculiar man behind the brush. I would definitely recommend this book to any psychology student looking to analyze the intricate workings of a madman's ways and fantasies of the mind. I would also recommend this book to any fan of Salvador Dali, surrealism, or art in general. I would suggest, and I believe that Dali would agree with me, that this book be read while sitting on the toilet.

How Dalinian
Have you ever displayed elephant skulls in front of your home or imagined being a fish, or find yourself fascinated with your own excrement?One very eccentric man did all these things, Mr. Salvador Dali, one of the most famous artists of the Surrealism time.His book turned out to be a bit like his paintings, random and irrational.I felt as if I was reading the incoherent ramblings of a man with a slight case of narcissism.This at times, made the book somewhat difficult to follow.But, I found it to be true "Dalinian" as he would say.Reading about the thought process of some of his work was most intriguing.He seemed to find the "art" in some of the most awkward places.I would suggest familiarizing yourself with his paintings before reading this book.When he spoke of placing things on crutches, using Christian iconography, or drawing inspiration from Gala, you can have a visual idea in your head as you read.The book, however, had very little on the thoughts behind much of his other works.He wrote more about his thoughts on everyday life, popular people of the time, and his wife Gala.The man seemed to really know himself and live his life by his own philosophies no matter how bizarre or what anyone else said.Whether this is how he truly was or lived to portray one huge publicity stunt for the sake of shock value, he is a man that must be recognized for his work.I have to admit, I would rather learn about him through his unique paintings than having to read his book.

odetogala
It always is helpful to read the insights of a talented artist, such as Dali, but some insights are better left unsaid. The beginning of this book is funny and interesting, specifically concerning the Surrealist and some of Dali's philosophies. As an artist, I would have appreciated more detail about the technical process behind his work. I did find interesting his use of inanimate objects to assist in his process. As a reader, I could have done without reports on bowel movements or the lengthy description of the comparison between "dirty flies" and "clean flies". As I continued throughout the book, I came to the realization that maybe the book title should have been Ode to Gala or Lord of the Flies II. As Dali switches between first person and third person the question of his genius arises. To refer to oneself continuously as a genius the history of this term should be described in more detail.
The concept of genius has been associated with persons of high intellect although the definition of this word embodies much more. The first refers to an attendant spirit of a person or place. The second states a strong leaning or inclination and third a peculiar, distinctive or identifying character or spirit. Other associations have been made with the word genius such as mad or eccentric.
All artists try to distinguish themselves apart from other artist. I believe in their ventures of discovery they find a technique unique to them self. Some of the techniques discovered have been unconventional or peculiar but not genius.
Dali expresses life experiences that are peculiar and unconventional. This brings to the book a unique read that is sometimes easy to follow. Dali's art will remain to be seen as the work of a genius more so because this is how he marketed himself throughout his life. The one important aspect of this book that should inspire all artists is how to learn to market oneself to become successful in the art world. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (3)

Dali
I have not finished reading this study of Dali's later works so my comments are preliminary.The work is a scholarly presentation.I wanted to learn more about Salvador Dali himself and his art, beyond the flamboyant individual who appeared in the press. This book meets my goals.

Great catalog for a great exhibition
This book shows what globalisation is meant to be. You have an American curator, Dr. Elliott King who studied in England and lives now in Colorado. Since he finished his previous exhibition in Australia he wanted to let us know that the late work of Salvador Dali is as important as his classic surrealism period. He convinced Michael Shapiro as well as Nancy and Holcombe T. Green, Jr. from the the High Museum in Atlanta, Georgia and with David A. Brennerman started to give shape to this dream. He got help from the sources in Spain (The Fundaciò Gala Salvador Dalí) as well as the Dalí museum in St. Petersburg, Florida (you'll read great articles by Montse Aguer Teixidor, Hank Hine and William Jeffet). But it was not just the great writings. These museums generously lent great paintings. But it wasn't enough. Elliott needed other paintings and he got them from all over the world. Other museums and private collections in the US, Japan, Scotland, Canada, again Spain helped. Paintings from a very important collection from Mexico were going to be lent but unfortunately (for Elliott) they were being shown in France.

You have to read the acknowledgments to see the international importance of this exhibition.

It was a long time ago since you could see together paintings as important as The Persistance of Memory, Morphological Echo, the first and final versions of Madonna of PortLligat, the Christ of Saint John of the Cross, Assumpta Corpuscularia Lapislazulina, the Maximum Speed of Raphael's Madonna, The paranoiac-critical study of Vermeer's Lacemaker, The Ecumenical Council, Santiago El Grande, Portrait of my Dead Brother, etc.

There were also many other items suchs as watercolors (one of the Divine Comedy), drawings, jewels, lithographs, etchings, movies, sculptures, magazines, Phillipe Halsman's photographs, etc.

It is a great show and if you can't see it "on the flesh", please, pleeeease buy this catalog.

Enrique E. Zepeda

(BTW it's printed in Italy)

Forget Dali and rediscover him
I remember viewing a Picasso exhibition confronting the Spanish master with old masters such as Velasquez and Rembrandt, an exhibition held two years ago in Paris and London, that shed new light on Picasso's achievement (whether good or less so...). The current Dali show at the High Museum in Atlanta and this book which accompanies it do just that. The often disparaged late works of Salvador Dali, often overshadowed by the annoying, debatable and overwhelming buffoonish persona that the artist had created of himself, are seen here under a new light and the book shows this very well, with high-quality illustrations and rarely-seen ambiguous worksthat enable the reader to understand how, beyond anything else, Dali in his late period had become a master in his own right. ... Read more

Product Description
Salvador Dali, the renowned Surrealist painter, was a notoriously flamboyant figure in the art world for the greater part of the 20th century. Here, 40 of his masterpieces have been selected from the Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida, the most comprehensive collection of the work of the great Catalan artist. Illuminating the colorplates are extensive commentaries by art historian Kenneth Wach. 71 illustrations, 10 in full color. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Great Book!
As a Dali fan I could not have asked for a better book. Beautiful paintings and great descriptions.

Dali is Different
Seventy-one illustrations, including 40 plates in full color, are inside this great book, taken from the Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersberg, Florida.Dali, born in Figueres, Spain on May 11, 1904, is probably my favorite Surrealist painter.

What I enjoy the most are the color plates; however, a close second is the illuminating commentary by Mr. Wach of which he discusses the works' styles as well as the psychological content, both in succinct detail.

The book is broken up into six parts:*Preface and Acknowledgments, *Salvador Dali: An Introduction (including many pencil, ink and charcoal drawings as well as his life and influences,) *Colorplates (with commentary opposite pages,) *Biographical Chronology (full of seemingly day by day happenings of his life and works,) *Selected Bibliography and *Index.

For those considering purchasing this book, here are most of the color plates (*** stars are favorites of mine):
**View of Cadaques with Shadow of Mount Pani, ***Port of Cadaques (Night)["Contemporary witnesses recounted seeing the young Dali painting two canvases at once--one with his left hand and one with his right...one of the first hints at his later interest in double images and in stereoscopic vision." from the commentary.I love this haunting painting.] **Self-Portrait (Figueres,) **Still Life: Pulpo y Scorpa, **Still Life: Sandia ["...he was concerned with the more formal relationships of shapes that characterize the art of Cubism..."], **The Basket of Bread, **Femme Couchee,**Apparatus and Hand [...one of the most accomplished works of this period...this painting announces a fresh Mediterrean luminosity that was to stay with Dali, together with a more uninhibited repertoire of images and associations..."], **The Bather, **Beigneuses [sic], **Dit Gros, Platja, Luna i Ocell Podrit (Big Thumb, Beach, Moon, and Decaying Bird), **Ocell...Peix, [..."the painting's dark sky betrays its orgins in the Surrealist's experimental technique of grattage--a method of pictorial generation that relied upon the uncovered images formed by scratching back layers of ink or thin bitumen spread over preexisting work..."], **The First Day of Spring, **The Profanation of the Host, **The Average Bureaucrat,**Au Bord de la Mer, **Shades of Night Descending ["...drawn from childhood memories of the Playa Confitera, a beach known and loved for its candy-shaped pebbles..."), **Memory of the Child-Woman, ***Sugar Sphinx ["...The large expanse of sky creates a quietly contemplative effect that is unique and hints at the solemnity of the theme..."], ***Portrait of Gala [I wish I could include the entire commentary!], **Skull with Its Lyric Appendage Leaning of a Night Table Which Should Have the Exact Temperature of a Cardinal Bird's Nest [love this wacky title], **The Weaning of Furniture Nutrition, **Decalcomania, **Morphological Echo, ***Three Young Surrealist Women Holding in Their Arms the Skins of an Orchestra, **Tristan Fou, **Daddy Longlegs of the Evening--Hope!, **Old Age, Adolescence, Infancy (The Three Ages), **Geopoliticus Child Watching the Birth of the New Man, **Christ in Perspective, ***The Disintegration of the Persistence of Memory, ***Nature Morte Vivante (Still Life-Fast Moving), ***The Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus, *** The Ecumenical Council ["...The faith is mediated by the floating image of Gala as St. Helena,...The corss that she holds reflects the one in the hand of Christ, above her, who points upward to its spiritual significance..."] ***Galacidalacidesoxiribunucleicacid [sic] (Homage to Crick and Watson)[say that fast three times! Heh.] and the final colorplate is from the book's cover, ***The Hallucinogenic Toreador.

I have enjoyed perusing over this fine book.Recommended for eye-opening insight into Dali.A few of my favorites paintings, "The Persistence of Memory," and just two or three others are missing. But for what you get here, its definitely 5 stars. A very well planned, and organized, fun to read volume. Bravo Wach!

Breton's definition of Surrealism(from _Manifesto of Surrealism_ in 1924:)
"Surrealism, noun, masculine.Psychic automatism in its pure state, by which one proposes to express--verbally, by means of the written word, or in any other manner,--the actual functioning of thought.Dictated by thought, in the absensce of any control by reason, exempt from any aesthetic or moral concern.Encyclopedia, Philosophy: Surrealism is based upon the belief in the superior reality of certain forms of previously neglected associations, in the omnipotence of dream, in the disinterested play of thought.It tends to ruin, once and for all, the other psychic mechanisms and to subtitle itself for them in solving all the principle problems of life."

Soar!

great masterpiece from a great artist
same as abov ... Read more

Product Description
The most thorough and ambitious biography of Salvador Dali ever written, a remarkable evocation of the outlandish personality, paranoia, and sexual torment lurking behind the nightmarish images that shook the world. Drawing on extensive original research and recently discovered sources, Ian Gibson presents a daringly original portrait of one of this century's most celebrated--and infamous--artists. He provides a full narrative of Dali's life as artist and as uninhibited exhibitionist, from his wild and troubled youth through his often rollickingly funny adventures in Paris, New York, and Hollywood to his poignant last years. Here is Dali fully revealed through his voluminous correspondence; his novel, poems, and essays; and interviews with some of those closest to him. The Shameful Life of Salvador Dali reexamines the roles of the two most important individuals in the artist's life: the Spanish playwright and author Federico Garca Lorca and the enigmatic, libidinous Gala, the Russian migr whose marriage Dali broke up and with whom he subsequently lived in unconsummated bliss and terror. This is a truly incandescent life of the surrealist artist who caught the imagination of the twentieth century. This enthralling narrative is augmented by a full discussion of Dali's most important works, with black-and-white illustrations of Dali's life and paintings reproduced at appropriate points in the text and more than thirty full-color reproductions.Amazon.com Review
"The world will admire me. Perhaps I'll be despised andmisunderstood, but I'll be a great genius, I'm certain of it."

At 16, Salvador Dali had already developed the remarkable ego anduncanny perception that would distinguish him as one of the mostnotorious artists of the 20th century. A self-proclaimed surrealist,an avant-garde exhibitionist, and a criticized commercialist withquestionable political affiliations, Dali was anything butbenign. Biographer Ian Gibson (Federico GarciaLorca) argues that the modern master was motivated primarilyby the very last thing anyone would suspect him of: a very deep senseof shame. Via the artist's correspondence, diary, and autobiography(The Secret Life ofSalvador Dali), Gibson meticulously stitches together the wildcharacters and deep-dish details of Dali's life: a guilt-riddenchildhood, feelings of sexual inadequacy ("...I discovered that mypenis was small, pitiful and soft"), his love affairs with Lorca andsex-pot Gala and the real passion of his life, surrealism. Critical,fair, and lively, The Shameful Life of Salvador Dali digsbeyond the escapades and outlandish façade to expose the very personaland vulnerable side of one of the world's most eccentric performers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

The best bio in English of a true genius
Ian Gibson has written a very well researched biography of one of the most enigmatic artists the world has given birth to: Salvador Dali Domenech. Gibson tries to give a rather impartial portrayal of this man, hated by some, adored by others but considered to be a genious by all.
Sexually traumatized,insecure, extremely shy but at the same time self-centered, egocentric, excentric, exibitionist,superfitial, communist, anarachist, monarchist, conceited, a traitor to his own friends and ideals... A long etc wouldn't be enough to define who Dali really was.
He lived in a fascinating era where he met fascinating people such as: Andre Breton, luis Bunuel, Garcia Lorca, Lawrence Olivier, Coco Chanel, Picasso,Christian Dior, Helena Rubinstein etc. Dali played a vital part in popular culture both in Europe and America. However, he was also considered to be a "sell out" by many, specially after the 1940's. As he grew old he became more and more excentric, his paintings being more and more shocking.A greedy person, he sorrounded himself by a court of "grand grotesques" (Notably transexual Amanda Lear) to Finally succomb to neumonia in the late 1980's
Love him or hate him, but Dali is and was a unique personality without comparison.

ALMOST PERFECT BIOGRAPHY
This is an author who decides to look at the life of Salvador Dali by concentrating in his faults and dark side. The story is written based on looking at the empty half of the glass, as Gibson's thesis proclaims that this was not a great painter with a negative side, but that the painter's negative side was primordial to his artistic evolution. Still, for anyone in search of understanding the brilliance of Dali, this is the ultimate book. The genius of this Spanish painter deserves such a comprehensive work, and Ian Gibson masterfully and in detail shows the reader the artist, in the context of his time and troubled life. In all books on Dali I have encountered, I have seldom seen such thorough research; the author is to be praised twofold, because the master himself did all in his power to publicly, and in writing, come across as someone he was not. In his biography, Mr. Gibson does a phenomenal job in clarifying the artist's strange life by uncovering his mysteries, and by intellectually undoing much of his exhibitionist behavior. Dali's thought process, as well as the distortions about himself and others are analyzed and criticized, at times subliminally (as if Gibson would become surreal himself), but most of the time quite openly, and it is refreshing that such a meticulous biography can provide such reading pleasure. Gibson, who had the opportunity to briefly meet the master, interviewed dozens of people (many of them knew the painter first hand), and the scholarship found in this magnificent 800 page treatise is well documented with in depth notes and proof sources, dozens of black and white photographs of people, places and art works, and 16 pages of color art.
We must however ask what was the author's true intention when using the word "Shameful" in the book's title? If the reader is attracted by such word in order to find shocking or censurable stories, he/she will be disappointed, as there are not many of those; the shameful life meant by Gibson was the one Dali had, full of painful emotions caused by consciousness of guilt. Shameful, as in pitiful could also be an appropriate meaning of the heading. Of the shameful statements and behaviors by the master, some, unfortunately, are not well scrutinized. How interesting would have been if Gibson, for example, had better researched if Salvador's sporadic fascist views where actually a product of the subconscious he could not control, as he claimed, or very much his real feelings. Those paradox moments of early fascination with Hitler and later on with racism, that prompted Breton and the Surrealists to cut with the painter are difficult to understand, even in such a confused and manipulative individual. Gibson only simplifies such complex enigmas by saying that Dali was a renegade, who continuously changed sides in order to attract attention, or guarantee his personal survival. We find however, that this is not always the case: The Maestro, in an entry in his diary in 1952, lauds Freud and Einstein and the entire "genius of the Jewish people"; if true that he behaved according to convenience, why Salvador was so strongly anti-Semitic later in the 1960s remains a puzzle, since it only pushed the Jewish art dealers away.
Pertaining the book's content, other criticism is in order: The author attempts to cover every single aspect of Dali's life by providing amazing details which could at times even seem to be irrelevant, but then he inexplicably forgets to reveal many well known facts. A case in point, there is no reference of Dali's feelings towards the creation of the State of Israel, which he viewed as a historical development with surrealistic overtones (was he being opportunistic once again?); as to why this is significant, is because he created images in 1968 and 1972, respectively for the 20th and 25th anniversaries of the State of Israel, -works that are not even mentioned in the book. The author also neglects to mention other (albeit not so well known) data: that in 1944 the Maestro was commissioned to do 7 paintings to illustrate " The Seven Lively Arts" for the lobby of the Ziegfield Theater, that in 1965 the painter donated a work to the Rikers Island Prison in New York. Many other examples can be cited. In addition, most of the works mentioned in the book are not shown, some of them pivotal to the narrative. The novice art reader would have benefited from such graphics even if in black and white, achieving a better understanding of the items created by the painter, or by others that influenced him.
Some of the Surreal Objects mentioned should have also been portrayed; the only one represented in the book, is not Dali's. It is utmost frustrating to read the reference or even the description of paintings, objects or sculptures without having the opportunity to look at them, and this occurs repeatedly in the script. Granted, the effort in obtaining and publishing such materials would have been a great one, but it seems that Gibson's style had the purpose of thoroughness which is not achieved by the omission of these elements. Furthermore, some works mentioned in the text are depicted, but only elsewhere in the book without any indication by the author of their presence; then a picture of 1974 is placed in the narrative of Dali's life in the late eighties; it seems that the editing could have been improved. Lastly, Gibson brings up complex references regarding art styles (Dadaism, Pre-Raphaelitism), political parties, philosophical movements and art expert opinions without any clarification of what they mean. Why the author chooses to describe some personalities and not others is also perplexing; again, it is evident that the novice reader is not taken into account in this otherwise magnificent and enjoyable book. Gibson's conclusion is that Salvador Dali was not a "total" genius but only a virtuoso painter; I think his immeasurable creativity is greatly downplayed by the author.

I've Never Read A More Vivid Biography
Most biographies I've read, the opening chapters are a bore of mundane details of the person's childhood that are uninterestnig and nearly always read the same. In contrast, Ian Gibson's writing style is so lush, thateven the detailed history of the Dali family before Salvador was born arecompelling. Gibson gives you the feel of the Spanish countryside and theera in which Dali and hisforefathers lived. Gibson is a carefulbiographer as well. Instead of taking Dali's own autobiography, "TheSecret Life Of Salvador Dali," at face value, Gibson researches Dali'slife and points out discrepencies and exaggerations of Dali writings. Itled me to reread Dali's own writings and gave me further insight into themind of the artist. I enjoyed reading about Dali's relationships with otherpainters (Surreal and otherwise), writers and poets such as Lorca, and hislove of jazz. Far from a dry outline of a famous person's life, this bookmakes Dali come alive.

Like Dali's art, this bio takes effort but it's worth it
If you want to be spoon fed Freudian explanations about what Dali's paintings mean, look for something else. But if you want a richly detailed, absolutely readable biography of Dali, this is it.I can't wait to readGibson's biography of Lorca, but for now, I'm savoring this one and I onlywish it were longer.

Unflatering Portrait of a Neurotic Genius
Well researched revisionist biography of one of the century's great artists.As the title implies, the author suggests that a key to understanding Dali is his feelings of shame.Dali suffered from almostparalizing bouts ofshame as a child, and struggled (not always successfully) to work around or overcompensatefor them.Those with acasual interest in Dali should startoff with the artist's own "TheSecret Life ofSalvador Dali" for many insights and a moreentertaining read.The "Shamefull Life" triesto find the storybehind the story.My biggest objection to this book is Gibson'salmosttotal dismissal of Dali's art after 1940,which I fear is a prejudicebased more on politicsthan the Dali's art itself. ... Read more

Product Description

Maniac Eyeball is the third, final and most comprehensive volume of autobiography written by the late Salvador Dali. Maniac Eyeball contains the frank and uncensored confessions of Salvador Dali, from his childhood and first adolescent sexual experiences to his emergence as a painter, surrealist and eventually the most famous-and possibly richest-artist of modern times. These inspired tracts, covering art, love, sex, money, death, fame, science, his famous friends and enemies, and his extraordinary creative genius, reveal the intricate workings of Dali's mind to create not only an unparalleled autobiography, but also one of the key surrealist texts yet published.

Salvador Dali (1904–1989) entered the ranks of the Surrealists in 1929 with a series of iconoclastic paintings which fused technical virtuosity with Freudian infantilism, leading to his invention of the "paranoiac-critical" method. Later expelled from the surrealist group, he was christened "Avida Dollars" by Andre Breton while acquiring the reputation of master showman and scandalist. His art and writings remain among the most unique and important bodies of work of the 20th century.

"Dali's paintings reveal in the most powerful form the basic elements of the Surrealist imagination: a series of equations for dealing with the extraordinary transformations of our age. Let us salute this unique genius, who has counted for the first time the multiplication tables of obsession, psychopathology and possibility"-J.G. Ballard

Volume One of Creation Art Directives, a new series devoted to promoting the avant-garde
Contains over 100 photos, illustrations and paintings by Dali
Cover quote by J.G.Ballard
Companion to Creation's successful Diary Of A Genius (20,000 sold to date)

Product Description
This lively and fun introduction to Dali’s life and art focuses on eleven masterpieces, inviting readers to explore their imagination as they discover the works of the great artist.

The book presents the strange, humorous, and wildly inventive paintings of Salvador Dali. The author helps children unlock the mysteries of Dali’s artwork by explaining his use of detail, color and illusion. Each double-page spread in this delightful book explores a single work to illustrate the ideas and influences that shaped Dali’s work. The author introduces themes such as dream imagery, landscape painting, portraiture, and satire. Throughout the book, the artist’s sense of playfulness and mystery shine through, revealing to children the wondrous qualities of art. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

It wasn't what I expected.
This coloring book wasn't what I expected or wanted. I thought it was going to be a coloring book where one would color the paintings in. It wasn't. I'm definitely not satisfied with it.

Introducing young students to the creative insanity of Dali
It is hard to do justice to the imaginative insanity of Salvador Dali, but Angela Wenzel does a pretty good job for this volume in the Adventures in Art series."The Mad, Mad, Mad World of Salvador Dali" introduces young readers to the Surrealist artist who knew how to put himself in the limelight in ways other than his paintings.One of things that Wenzel does is that she provides some of Dali's own comments about his art, such as the 1937 painting "Sleep," where a heavy face that looks like the film director Luis Bunuel is propped by my crutches and explaining the link between the writings of Sigmund Freud on dreams and Dali's painting "The Burning Giraffe" (1936-37), where drawers are coming out of a tall woman's body.Also included are the famous melting clocks of "The Persistence of Memory" (1931), the fried eggs of "The Sublime Moment" (1938), and the multiple pictures within "The Metamorphosis of Narcissus" (1937).

What I especially like about this volume is how it looks at the origins of some of these paintings.For "The Endless Enigma" (1938) we have the original sketches of the six different paintings that Dali hid in the finished painting, while a postcrd showing an African village became a face turned on its side in "Paranoid Faces" (1931).Then there was the "Portrait of Mrs. Isabel Styler-Tas" (1945), which Dali based on Piero della Francesca's "Battista Sforza and Federico de Montefeltro" (circa 1465) by way of Giuseppe Arcimboldo's "Winter," a marvelous example of how the old becomes new in the hands of a talented artist.

Young readers will also be exposed to some prime examples of Dali's imagination with regards to other types of art beyond paintings, such as his infamous "Lobster Telephone" (1936) and the "Mae West Lips Sofa" (1937), although I miss seeing the harp covered with silverware that he made for his friend Harpo Marx.There are also some choice photographs of "Dali the superstar" engaging in the art of self-promotion.Just showing young readers examples of Dali's artwork is enough to get them interested in the artist, but Wenzel takes pain to explain how Dali created his masterpieces and what he was trying to do with some of these pieces.This is one of the more truly educational books I have seem about a great artist written for young readers. ... Read more

Product Description
This book provides an entertaining and humorous introduction to the famous artist, Salvador Dali. Full-colour reproductions of the actual paintings are enhanced by Venezia''s clever illustrations and story line.' ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

So-so
I love Mike Venezia's books. Maybe due to complexity of the subject and personality of the artist the author had troubles finding the right presentation. Unfortunately, not the best book from the series.

Great book for youth
I bought 6 books from Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists for my daughter who is 7 years old. We read them together. She liked the books and showed some interest in arts. I suggest this book and other books from this series for all the parents who want their children to learn about art.

A wonderful way for kids to get to know Artists
Beautifully laid out and written in a way that is interesting for Kids. The Humor in this entire series makes it extremely pleasurable and easy to read. ... Read more

Product Description
Continuously in print for more than 20 years, Abrams' Masters of Art series has always been known for its exceptional quality and value. Now these classic volumes devoted to the lives and works of the world's great painters have been newly redesigned and released in paperback for the first time. The comprehensive texts, written by distinguished art historians, provide incisive and informative portraits of the artists and perceptive commentaries on their works and achievements. Each book features 40 full-page, full-color plates accompanied by commentary on the facing page. Numerous black-and-white illustrations supplement the text. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

Beware of the size of this book!
Beware of the size of this book!
If you are expecting to receive a regular size art book, you will be extremely disappointed. The book measures 7.5 x 9 inch and is thinner than my pinky finger.
However, if you are just interested in the content, there is a lot to look at and to read.

Great Book!
I am a huge Dali fan and this is another one of those books that gives a great insight into the man's thoughts and feelings.

A must for every Dali aficionado.
This book is one of the best collections of illustrations of the immense work by the genius: Salvador Dalí.A must for any serious collector of his work

DALI. Edited by Max Gerard. Translated by Eleanor R. Morse.
I used to have this book, and my ex-wife took it. I was delighted to find another copy.

Dali revealed
Dali (Mallard Fine Art Series) I have read this book cover to cover and enjoyed every word! Paul Moorhouse manages to give a great amount of information covering Dali's life, his contribution to Surrealism, hidden aspects of his personality, his thinking and preferences at different periods in his life, thus allowing the reader to enter the magical world of Dali.The paintings selected span Dali's lifetime and represent the major directions of his work at different points in his life.The explanation provided for each painting includes its symbolism, its relation to what the artist was going through personally at the time, as well as connections with the historical period and other influences.The only minus is the quality of the reproduction of a few of the paintings which is a bit disappointing.All in all a book I highly recommend. ... Read more

Product Description
A provocative new biography of the master of surrealism and megalomaniac exhibitionism, drawing on much previously untapped material. Salvador Dali's often bizarre life is chronicled in an entertaining way, including his relationships with Garcia Lorca, Andre Breton, Luis Bunuel, and Gala. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Dali's life
A basic biography about such a curious individual.Ordered this book for a paper that I am writing on psychopathology and Dali. Very helpful information; lots of description in this biography. Not just a time line.

The memory man
Surrealists said that someone who came up with something out of the ordinary must have been in love with Gala Eluard: her husband Salvador Dali's unforgettable imagery, from early autobiographical works through Surrealist dream symbols to metaphysical and religious themes, drew into the art world people who had been uninterested in painting. Perhaps he revealed the secret of his appeal when he said that he drew just one picture, mixing what happened to him and in the world with eternal themes from his childhood, such as the threatening father in "The old age of William Tell." Some childhood memories found expression in Hieronymus Bosch-styled decaying soft objects, as in "The persistence of memory." With "Cenicitas" and "La miel es mas dulce que la sangre," he launched his psychoanalytically symbolic art by following the Surrealist ideal of uncensored and uncontrolled imagery, knowing what to apply from Sigmund Freud's "The interpretation of dreams," and using sleepwalking shadows, Joaquin Sorolla-type light, and jewel-like clear colors. One of his hallmarks became pictures with multiple images: "The endless enigma" double, triple and quadruple imaging into such disturbing visions as a fish skeleton balanced on top of a stick and Gala's eyes staring cruelly out at viewers; "The image disappears" double imaging a Jan Vermeer-styled girl into a bearded man; "The metamorphosis of Narcissus" double imaging Narcissus into a petrified hand holding an egg cracking into a narcissus, with Sandro Botticelli-type dancing figures and Umbrian school-like golden glowing background; his metaphysical "Dali a six ans soulevant avec precaution la peau de l'eau pour observer un chien dormir a l'ombre de la mer" covering a dog with atomic reactor-type, mirrorlike heavy water and reflecting granite cliffs, in a Piero di Cosimo-styled seascape; one of his nuclear fission series, "The three sphinxes of Bikini," double imaging the atomic explosion into three heads, with one turning into two trees. Later, one of the high points in his religious paintings was floating a foreshortened "Christ of St John of the cross" over an early evening sky and above the rocks of the painter's homeland. From his fascination with three-dimensional art and as an exercise in the stereoscopy that he saw in Gerard Dou's art, he painted "Dali from the back painting Gala from the back externalized by six virtual corneas, provisionally reflected by six mirrors." And his final masterpiece Teatro museo Gala-Dali was a three-dimensional autobiography of all his ideas and images. Author Meredith Etherington-Smith reads magnificently with DALI'S OPTICAL ILLUSIONS edited by Dawn Ades and Robert Radford's DALI. Readers might want to look into Ruth Brandon's SURREAL LIVES, Sharon Fermor's PIERO DI COSIMO, Carl Linfert's BOSCH, Bruno Santi's BOTTICELLI, and Arthur K. Wheelock's JAN VERMEER. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (13)

saviour Dali
salvador Dali was true true artist. He loved to shock , tantalise, horrify,bewilder etc., etc.,
but above all , he loved to paint. This book gives one an idea of his depth. His life was art
right up to the end as the book discloses. He could paint , he could draw , he was a great colourist.
His themes are always thought provoking , ancient and modern at the same time , like the duality of the
man himself. there will never be another Salvador Dali.Buy the book , you'll start to understand why.

Great book that covers EVERYTHING!
I bought this for my sister for Christmas, hoping she would like it and she did. Of all the things she received (laptop,iphone, etc.), she sat for hours looking through this book that night, not even getting into other things yet. It covers Dali's entire life and every painting, drawing, sketch he ever did. It splits it up into 2 books that are held together in a sleeve, which is nice so you are not holding a ginormous, heavy as heck book. Presents it very nicely in the sleeve. The weight is substantial! Amazon did a great job with the pricing as well as the shipping. Shipping being little to nothing. I purchased an engraved compact for my mother for xmas and the shipping on that was way more than these books that weigh either 8 or 11 pounds, I forget. Great job Amazon!! I would recommend this book to anyone even remotely interested in Salvador Dali. You will learn just about anything you want to know from this book...and probably even a little more! =)

This 2 volume set is great
This 25th Taschen edition is one of the best I have ever seen. The size is perfect, not too small but also not too big. Two volumes for the price that they sell for are almost a steal. I could easily see this edition sell for double that price. I highly recommend it.

Perfect for the Dali Enthusiast
This box set is truly amazing. Like previous reviews have said it's more of an encyclopedia, but it's full of paintings and even work from his sketch books. I've spent many, many hours going through both volumes. His work is so intricate, everytime you look at one of his paintings, you'll find something you didn't see before.I was a Fine Arts major in college, and used this set to cite many papers. I highly recommend these books.

Excellent book
The only problem was that the package arrived broken as they were not properly packed.
... Read more

Product Description
This new series uncovers the life and times of some of the most important and influential artists of the modern world. Each title focuses on one artist, exploring their life and work in the context of world events. Each book features large reproductions of the artist's work from their first drawing to their final masterpiece. The books also include selected works from other artists and colour and black and white photographs and illustrations which help to bring the artist's world to life. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Elementary age Art history teacher
This book was so helpful in trying to teach children about Dali.It has a lot of interesting facts and information and it is all appropriate for children.This is a great series of books.

Salvador Dali
Great book. This book is interesting and well written. Students in upper elementary through high school will enjoy the format of the book as well as benefit from the information. ... Read more

Product Description
-Salvador Dalí
Surrealist painter, author, filmmaker, lecturer, performance artist, charlatan, genius, clown, Salvador Dalí (1904–1989)

Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech, 1st Marquis of Púbol (May 11, 1904 – January 23, 1989) was a prominent Spanish Catalansurrealist painter born in Figueres.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Dalí on Dalí
I don't believe a word that Dalí said in this book. Nor do I disbelieve anything. Mostly, I think the literal truth of any statement he makes is irrelevant. You should treat this as a Dalinian self-portrait in words, as vivid, precise, and impossible as any of his paintings.

Dalí makes it clear that Dalí's biggest achievement is Dalí. He recounts even his masturbations and defecations. Nothing is mundane in his world. Everything has some glow of the holy, profane, crass, or inspiring, and it's not clear that there's any difference. He is free with his opinions on the famous names in his circle, including Picasso and Coco Chanel. He's also free with his opinions on art, or rather on artists, especially the Spanish and most especially the Catalan. Dalí is proudly Catalan, so it's only natural that artists would rise in his esteem as they become more the way he sees himself.

It's not quite clear how much of the wording is literally Dalí's and how much came from Andre Parinaud, the compiler and editor. The book's underlying time-line is quite linear, not a trait I associate with Dalí's writing. Even so, this book gives an other-worldly look into Dalí's incredible mind.

-- wiredweird

Dalí on Dalí
I don't believe a word that Dalí said in this book. Nor do I disbelieve anything. Mostly, I think the literal truth of any statement he makes is irrelevant. You should treat this as a Dalinian self-portrait in words, as vivid, precise, and impossible as any of his paintings.

Dalí makes it clear that Dalí's biggest achievement is Dalí. He recounts even his masturbations and defecations. Nothing is mundane in his world. Everything has some glow of the holy, profane, crass, or inspiring, and it's not clear that there's any difference. He is free with his opinions on the famous names in his circle, including Picasso and Coco Chanel. He's also free with his opinions on art, or rather on artists, especially the Spanish and most especially the Catalan. Dalí is proudly Catalan, so it's only natural that artists would rise in his esteem as they become more the way he sees himself.

It's not quite clear how much of the wording is literally Dalí's and how much came from Andre Parinaud, the compiler and editor. The book's underlyinmg time-line is quite linear, not a trait I associate with Dalí's writing. Even so, this book gives an other-wordly look into Dalí's incredible mind.

//wiredweird

Dali is cool
If you're a diehard Dali fan than read this book, because it's worth it.However, if your just an average reader looking for a book to read for fun,this isn't it. At first it's interesting to learn about Dali and how he'sand weird and where all his ideas come from, but after a while it seemslike he's just rambling. I got bored. However, people who are into"tapping into their subconcious mind" etc. You people might likethis book.

RHINOCEROS HORNS EVERYWHERE!
IT IS YOUR SECRET DESTINY TO READ THIS BOOK! Yes, you there, sitting at your computer, you who have stumbled on this review... yes, I know who you are, I can see you clairvoyantly, and I must tell you, this book has beenwaiting for you!

I found a beat up copy in a thrift store when I wasfifteen. I had just finished reading "Atlas Shrugged" and Ilucked into a completely radically different tweaking of mind."Unspeakable Confessions" was the first book I ever read thatreally shocked me, that made me feel that anything was fair in art.I AMTELEPATHICALLY COMMANDING YOU, IN THE SACRED NAME OF 23 AND THE HIDDENRHINOCEROS HORNS, YOU MUST SEEK FIND AND READ THIS MINDSTUNNING BOOK AND IFYOU'RE ADEQUATELY IMPRESSIONABLE IT WILL BE WITH YOU FOR LIFE.

A "morphological" journey through the world of Dali
To fully understand the motives behind the works of Salvador Dali, it is imperative to read this book- go directly to the source! I have never come in (indirect, albeit) contact with someone so uniquely intriguing andincredibly amazing. Dali writes about childhood memories, philosophies onwealth, contact with the world and how he views the continually shiftingevents taking place around him. For anyone who looks over Dali'smasterpieces as incomprehensible or obtuse, please take a look at thisbook- Dali appears to defend his motives, making it easier for viewers toanalyze his works. However, once you think you have a foothold in the worldof Dali, he pulls the rug right out from under you and denounces thepractice of analyzation! A delightful journey-- well worth the time!! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Dali 1 Vol (2 volumes into one hardcover edition)
Being the owner of many books based on the works of Salvador Dali, which includes "Dali The Work, The Man", I admit to being somewhat skeptical about yet another "complete" edition; that it would probably have pretty much the same information and reproductions of his art as my other books. I now admit to being incorrect, because this is a well made edition with a truly fantastic bargain price. I have paid well over a hundred dollars for what I'd hoped was a book containing all of Dali's paintings with detailed biographical information, when I found that this is the book with all of that for around ($).
You will not be disappointed with this book and I think you'll agree that the quality is excellent, with a solid binding and beautiful reproductions of all of his paintings in chronological order. There are also a great deal of photographs (and paintings) that I've never seen before, and I thought I was a huge fan of Salvador Dali.
"Dali, The Work The Man" is also a very well-made book, which may be printed on a slightly heavier grade paper, at the most. However, the Taschen book is far more detailed and also excellent quality. "Dali, The Work The Man" costs ten times as much and only has half the content.
I truly thought there must have been some mistake when I ordered it.I still question the price as being far too low, so I advise you to hurry up and get this before the publisher realizes their huge mistake. Perhaps we are dealing with a publisher who really isn't greedy at all--that's my impression here.
I couldn't be happier with my purchase of this book and highly recommend it.

Comprehensive, but of inferior quality.
When I saw this well-priced Book which was originally published in two volumes, at higher cost with a slip cover, I had to have it. I am a collector of Dali Books and was hoping that this Book would be the Catalogue Raisonne of Dali's paintings I had been looking for for so long. In this respect the Book was no disappointment with a total of 1,648 illustrations, but a closer look at the book revealed some serious faults.

The worst fault by far is that the printing of the paintings is consistently too dark. Three examples: The blue colors of: "Myself at the age of Ten when I was a Grasshopper Child" (p.202) are much too dark. It is even worse with: "Ghost of Vermeer of Delft which can also be used as a Table" (p.222) Here the figure of Vermeer is in points indistinguishable from the backround and the sky is much too orange, instead of yellowish. The worst example is that of "The Last Supper" (p.488) where the apostles on the extreme left and right of the painting canbarely be distinguished. There are many other examples of this. I made this comparison using several other books and exhibition catalogues, and have also seen the three paintings I mentioned as examples in person more than once.

A close examination also reveals that both paper and binding are not of high quality. I have a feeling this book will not stand the test of time. One way to tell a good Art Books when the paper is a higher weight. Judging from the paper, I have a feeling it will yellow in a few years. This is, incidentally, true for other Books that I own published by Taschen. Also, a book this heavy should really have a stronger binding.

Annoying also is that there is no alphabetic index of the paintings. Unless you know the year a painting was created, as they are in chronological order, there is no way to find it except by paging around.

Despite these complaints, I still like the Book because it includes paintings I have never seen before. If however, you want to see the paintings of Dali as they really look, get "Dali: The Work, the Man" instead. It suffers from none of the faults I have descibed, but is not as comprehensive. It's worth the extra money. In collecting Art Books I have found that higher quality Books stand the test of time.

NO COMMENT
This is the greatest book ever for me like Dali was for surrealists.He's my favourite painter so anybody who like, love or just want to know about Dali you can buy this book and you don't need any type of autobiography tofind something more. The paintings explain everything!!!

The Mother of all Dali Books...Incredibly Awesome
This book is very thorough and well organized.It is organized by the paintings and works done within each year...yes, not just his paintings folks but sculptures and jewelry and other miscellany...like I said, verythorough. This probably contains all of his paintings. The books pages arealso printed on high quality paper.You might want to get it while youcan, considering out of all the Dali books I've seen, I've never seen thisone.

A treat to look at and read.
I have never seen a book with so many of an artist's work."Dali: The Paintings" gives a complete view of Dali's work in each different time period of his life.This book allows the reader to really see hiswork without going to a museum. ... Read more

Product Description
Life Magazine wrote that one funhouse at the 1939 World's Fair stood out among the others:

"Dalí's Dream of Venus, the creation of famed Surrealist painter Salvador Dalí, is the most recent addition to the still-growing list of amusement-area girl shows and easily the most amazing. Weird building contains a dry tank and a wet tank. In the wet tank girls swim under water, milk a bandaged-up cow, tap typewriter keys which float like seaweed. Keyboard of piano is painted on the recumbent female figure made of rubber. In dry tank...a sleeping Venus reclines in 36-foot bed, covered with white and red satin, flowers, and leaves. Scattered about the bed are lobsters frying on beds of hot coals and bottles of champagne....All this is most amusing and interesting."

The building's modern, expressionistic exterior, with an entrance framed by a woman's legs, and shocking interior, including the bare-breasted "living liquid ladies" who occupied the tanks, caused quite a stir. The funhouse was so successful that it reopened for a second season, but once torn down it faded from memory and its outlandishness became the stuff of urban myth. Now, more than 60 years later, a collection of photographs of the Dream of Venus by Eric Schaal has been discovered. In stunning black-and-white and early Kodachrome, they show both the construction and the completion of the funhouse-from Dalí painting a melting clock to showgirls parading for their audience. Salvador Dalí's Dream of Venus reveals not only an eccentric work of architecture, but also a one-of-a-kind creation by one of the most fertile imaginations of the 20th century. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Beautiful, Surreal Dream
I stumbled upon this book at a bookstore, and had to buy it. I have never seen anything like it, but what else would you expect from Dali. I would like to point out to the reviewer before me, that there is a reason that the photos look "pastellish". It was 1939, and color film was very new, and unstable. Even now color film is unstable. These negatives had been stored away for 70 years. Thats why the color photos seemed "washed out" as you put it. Even the last line of the book addresses that,we will never really see how Dali had envisioned his creation, because of the nature of color film. I find the colors to be very interesting, because of the fact they are not true to life, which for me makes the images that much more dreamlike. I find the book to be a beautiful edition, and would recommend to anyone interested in Dali, Surrealism, girlie shows, funhouses, and installation art. It's great to find things that you never knew existed. Amazon is great, but nothing can beat the good old used bookstore.

Limitations of the Medium
It's a wonderful trip through the fantasy world of 1939.It's faded, though.

The reproductions available limit the viewability of the photos here.Everything is pastellish;you cannot believe that this was how Dali really made this exhibition.He was fond of splashy, bright color;the photography in this book looks very washed out.

That said, though, the reader is amazed to learn what 1939 viewers would tolerate by way of "explicit" sexuality.You have nude women in provocative positions to be viewed by the general public.How did this make it through pre-war censorship?Most likely because it was ART.

You won't seem images like this anywhere else.It is wonderful stuff, and a must for Dali fans.

Quite possibly the world's coolest funhouse!
Though Dali would eventually disavow his "Dream of Venus" pavilion from the 1939 World's Fair (over those pulling the pursestrings interfering with his vision), its place in history was forever secured as one of the earliest "art installation exhibits", or alternatively the most amazing carnival funhouse ever devised.

Full of bizarre imagery pulled from Freudian psychology and the depths of Dali's own mind, visitors were treated to topless models cavorting in aquaria and other tableaux of surreal landscapes such as a 36-foot bed topped with lobsters baking on hot coals, a taxicab containing a rainstorm and Christopher Columbus, and an undersea mummified cow.Apparently a psychotic dream-rant by B-movie actress Ruth Ford played on endlessly in the darkness as well.

Schaffner gives a brief textual description of a walk-through of the pavilion, followed by a history of the exhibition's development.Schaal's recently discovered photographs are the primary illustrations; they document both the exhibit space as well as behind-the-scenes shots of the models in costume fittings and the construction of the pavilion.

The book, while fascinating, does leave one wanting more; certainly other photographs and film clips documenting the pavilion exist, possibly also of its rehab in 1940 as "20,000 Legs Under the Sea" (!), which would have been interesting in addition to the Schaal photos.Schaffner also very briefly quotes contemporary descriptions of the pavilion, lengthier passages would have been nice.It seems she is focusing on newly-discovered material, but since so little of the old material is easily available, its inclusion would have been well-justified.

All in all, though, a beautifully produced volume on a rare melding of high art and carnival culture, the likes of which will undoubtedly never be seen again.Highly recommended. ... Read more

Product Description
Art Times has called Prestel's successful series of erotic sketchbooks,Wonderful little gifts for that special connoisseur of erotic drawing.A" The newest title in the series features the work of Salvador Dali, bringing together more than thirty sketches and watercolors that display the artist's classical training and skill as a draftsman. Admirers of Dali's work will recognize the imagery that lies beneath much of his erotic work yet many will be surprised by the quality of his sketches, which rival his paintings in their technical brilliance. Printed on quality stock and designed to imitate an artist's sketchbook-down to the cardboard cover and delicate red ribbon tie-this exquisite volume will please fans of Dali as well as erotic art collectors. ... Read more

Product Description
For the first time, this book—authorized by the Gala-Salvador Dalí Foundation—provides a visual history of Dalí’s entire career, illustrated with previously unpublished personal photographs, sketchbooks, drawings, letters, posters, and commercial designs, many of them drawn from the archives at the Gala-Salvador Dalí Foundation.

The photographs in particular offer key insights into the artist’s career; in them we see Dalí as a child, in his studio, with his inseparable wife and muse Gala, and traveling the world and fraternizing with celebrities including Harpo Marx, Walt Disney, Sidney Poitier, Andy Warhol, Gregory Peck, Alice Cooper, and Robert Kennedy. The inclusion of numerous designs for handbills and exhibition posters as well as magazine covers and book jackets suggests the scale of Dalí’s prolific output beyond the gallery walls. Also included are reproductions of his most famous works.

EXHIBITION SCHEDULE:
Tate Modern, London, June 1–September 9, 2007
LACMA, Los Angeles, October 21–January 20, 2008
Salvador Dali Museum, St Petersburg, Florida, February 24–May 21, 2008
MoMA, New York, 29 June–15 Sept 2008 ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Somewhat of a disappointment
A biography in the form of pictures of so colorful a life has been long overdue for Dali fans. However given all the remarkable personalities of the 20th Century Dali is known to have befriended the actual choice of photos is questionable. Where are the pictures of Dali having tea with Brian Eno, Ringo Starr, Brian Jones, Mia Farrow, Freddie Mercury, Charlie Chaplin, H.R. Giger, to name but a few, plus the many others who at one time or another formed his entourage?
One would have also hoped for a larger format for the pictures themselves, which are often too small and of poor quality. Worse still, almost all the reproductions of his artwork that are featured are terrible.
A much better book illustrating the Dali universe is the hardcover edition of The Emporda Triangle printed in glorious color with far superior printing standards.
... Read more

Product Description
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Customer Reviews (3)

a great return from a great band
Amsterdam man Ronny Moorings reformed old band Clan Of Xymox in 1997 and released this, the first Moorings album to go out under the COX banner since 'Medusa' (1987). Here Moorings goes back to his roots, picking up where 'Medusa' left off yet updating the sound for a new era. Does this album make up for lost time? I think so, yes. 'HF' spawned two hit singles, the crushing 'Out Of The Rain' and the poignant 'This World'. This album was such a return to form for Moorings that it inspired old label 4AD to re-release their classic debut album, 'Clan Of Xymox'. This album should satiate anybody into Depeche Mode, The Sisters Of Mercy or even The Cure. Besides the two big songs, 'HF' features the class guitar-blast 'Sing A Song' as well as the Dead Can Dance-ish 'November' and seven other strong efforts like'Wailing Wall'All in all `Hidden Faces' was a brilliant return to form for the Clan.

Who You Calling A Liar?
It begins with a fanfare bigger than Spinal Tap's collective hair.And as is usual with Ronny Mooring's outfit (his "band", and probably his chosen attire as well) much of this comeback debut comes off as a bit contrived and melodramatic - - not to say overwrought; there is no "Agonized By Love" this time around.But it probably depends on how seriously you take it. All minor keys and synthblasts, when it's good ("Going Round '97"; "Out Of The Rain"; "Special Friends") it's exhilarating; when it's bad ("This World"; the egregiously phony "Wailing Wall") it's just plain bad. In between are atmospheric instrumentals like "November", which punctuates its lead from your favorite funeral dirge with fake oboe, and the self-descriptive "Piano Piece" which should more correctly be titled "My Favorite Synth Piano-Patch Piece". Some songs pound ("Sing A Song"; "It's All A Lie" - -hey, Ronny fesses up!!) while others ("Your Vice") sort of float along in synthetic serenity aiming, I suppose, at detached irony. One of the best tracks, though, isn't even on this CD: the instrumental "Flatlands", included as a bonus track on the "Out Of The Rain/Going Round '97" single. Okay then, not a total miss. But personally I miss Anka Wolbert. Oh, and Peter Wooten. Guess I take it a little too seriously, eh.

Dali's novel of the pain and pleasure of obsessive love.
This exploration of a doomed and destructive relationship owes much to both the Marquise de Sade and Baron von Masoch as Dali narrates the tale of his two main characters' descent into the darkest recesses of emotionaldependancy and desire. Many of the elements that inspired Dali's art arehere and so this book is a must for any fans of surrealism in general andDali in particular. ... Read more