JANA SUMMERS Kat Russel studies a 1971
bronze sculpture titled "The Earth Mother" July 14 in Ackerman
Grand Ballroom at the exhibit’s opening night.
By Kenny Chang
Daily Bruin Contributor
A piece of Camembert cheese, melting and sliding over a
table’s edge, was the inspiration for artist Salvador
Dali’s trademark images of melting clocks.
Dali’s works, including a lithograph of “Persistence
of Memory” with its famous clocks, is being housed for two
weeks in Ackerman Grand Ballroom.
Through July 27, Ackerman is boasting an extravagant gallery
setup, suitable for displaying the largest collection of Salvador
Dali works ever shown in Southern California.
The exhibit is comprised of more than 500 pieces of Dali’s
art, including original paintings, sculptures, limited edition
prints, lithographs, bas-relief and tapestries. In addition, more
than 200 collectible memorabilia items are on display, such as
magazines in which Dali was featured and novels that he
illustrated.
Affirming surrealism as an alternative to the more formal cubism
style, Dali promoted rationality mixed with irrationality. The
Spanish-born artist had a flair for illustrating the subconscious
““ merging the conscious world with the unconscious world in
his pieces to create the perplexing effect of surrealism.
Dali’s art is not limited, however, to surrealism. Many of
his pieces were inspired by literature. There are numerous
paintings based the folk tale “Don Quixote” and entire
suites are dedicated to “Alice in Wonderland,”
“The Divine Comedy” and various mythological stories.
The images based on “The Divine Comedy” are divided
into three sets ““ “Inferno,”
“Purgatory” and “Paradise.” The entire
100-piece woodblock engraved set is on display in Ackerman Grand
Ballroom, detailing many of Dali’s brilliant yet horrific
visions of purgatory.
Since original Dali works are difficult to acquire, many items
in this exhibit are prints and lithographs. However, the originals
that are included are extremely impressive.
“Luna A La Calanque de Culip,” for example, is one
of the originals included in the showcase, valued at $500,000. What
is remarkable about the piece is that it was produced in 1914.
Dali, born in 1904, created “Luna” when he was only 10
years old.
When viewing Dali’s art, visual perceptions are often
deceived. Though Dali’s creations are always stimulating and
intriguing, it is sometimes difficult to decipher what his
intentions were.
“Lincoln in Dalivision” for instance, provides a
blurred image of Abraham Lincoln, which, upon closer examination,
is a picture of a woman looking out the window of a tiled room.
Some of his paintings, like the commissioned portraits, are
completely representational, while other works are left open to
individual interpretation.
Regardless of the style or meaning of his art, one thing is
clear: Dali was a skillful artist dedicated to detail and
ingenuity. None of his works seem sub par. If the image is busy, it
is not distastefully so. If the image is a bit sparse, nothing is
lacking.
The exhibit provides a rare opportunity for viewers to
experience an impressive number of Dali’s pieces and learn
about the life and style of this remarkable, influential
artist.
ART: “Dali at UCLA” displays until
July 27 in Ackerman Grand Ballroom. The exhibit is open Monday
through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to
6 p.m. Tickets are $7 general admission and $4 for students. For
information visit www.daliatucla.com or call (310)
825-2101.