Surrealist photo montage

Salvador Dali: Dali was born in Spain on May 11, 1904. Even from an early age he started practicing and perfecting his arts and later went to study at a school in Madrid. While interacting with amazing artists such as Picasso, Miro, and Magritte, he studied the thing he loved and slowly drifted towards fame. Most people know Dali as the man who painted the historic painting “The Persistence of Memory”, the painting with melting clocks in a unknown territory and skin melting on the ground. Then, war came to Europe and Dali was kicked out of the surrealist movement, but he did not stop expressing himself in his arts and all his insane antics. In his final years, Dali suffered from a motor disorder that restricted him from painting anymore, and he fell into a deep depression. Also, when he moved to a castle in Pubol, he then suffered from a horrible fire and was confined to a wheel chair due to injuries. On January 23, 1989 he died of heart failure.

Rene Magritte: Magritte was an artist for a long time, but his work was not as popular until he got into his 50s. When his mom committed suicide in 1921, Magritte committed to the Academia des Beaux-Art. It also took him awhile to realize that surrealism was his niche and then took his talents to the extremes. Even when his died, his reputation has only gotten better and better.

    

Artist name: Salvador Dali

Title: Soft Watch at the Moment of Explosion

Date: 1937

Description: A clock melting and erupting at one point with insects sitting close to the watch.

Analysis: The clock in this picture is centered so all of your attention is directed towards it, while the insects on the corner and the scenery in the background are also present and very beautiful. This picture is also very high key and horizontal.

Interpretation: I think this picture symbolizes Dali’s resistance from reality and the normal world.

Judgement: I honestly love this picture. I think it is insanely beautiful and really represents the difference between reality and the unknown world.

Artist name: Rene Magritte

Title: Son of Man

Date: 1964

Description: Mysterious man with an apple covering his face while standing in front of a wall.

Analysis: In this picture the man is the center of attention, but putting the apple in front of his face raises many questions about this picture and who this man is.

Interpretation: This symbolizes Rene’s mysteriousness and alienation from society and everything normal.

Judgement: I really like this picture myself. I think the fact that a simple apple in front of his face can raise so many questions about this picture and the man in it is so amazing and interesting.

In some ways, I think Magritte and Dali’s work is identical in some aspects. Both paintings seem to leave many things unsaid and mysterious. Also, I feel like both of these painting’s objectives are to raise so many questions about the paintings and what’s in them, as well as to who the painter was and why he painted these things.