Artist Profile: Salvador Dali

Salvador Dali was born May 11th, 1904 in Figueras, Spain. He died January 23, 1989. Dali started painting at a very young age, and received his art education in Madrid, starting in 1912. He was soon thrown out because of his eccentric behavior, and that his professors felt his artwork was too advanced for them to criticize.  By age 17, he was recognized in Europe as a major talent.
Dali is known for his surrealist paintings, but also worked with photography, sculpture, writing, and film. His best known works are Sleep (1937), The Persistence of  Memory (1931), and The Face of Mae West (1935). Dali's painting style is recognizable by his flamboyant yet meticulous technique.

Dali was involved in the 1920s Paris surrealist movement. They were concerned with making a "hyper reality" with the blending of real life and dreams. A great deal of Dali's inspiration came from Sigmund Freud's theory of the subconscious, which was new and popular during his time. Freud's influence can be seen in Sleep. Freud theorized that what occurs in dreams can impact and reflect waking life.

He met his future wife, Gala, through her then husband poet Paul Eluard. They were married in 1934 despite his father's protest. Gala took care of Dali's legal and financial matters, allowing him to focus on his public image among other surrealists.

That same year, Dali was expelled from the Paris surrealist group because his "flamboyant antics" were overshadowing his art. His excessive need to be in the spotlight was found very off-putting. He continued to make art and opened a  London Surrealist exhibition in 1936. In 1940, Dali and Gala moved from Spain to the United States to avoid World War II, They lived in the United States till 1948.

In 1942, he published his autobiography The Secret Life of Salvador Dali. His book revealed life-long narcissism and stories that point to Dali actually being crazy.