By Nitor-Curca Raluca
1900-1980. The notion of Modernism is closely related to ‘modern
art’.
Modernism refers to the new approach to art where it
was no longer important to represent a subject realistically. Instead, artists
started experimenting with new ways of seeing, with fresh ideas about the
nature, materials, and functions of art, often moving further toward
abstraction. Modernism was the movement that revolutionised the world around us
and the way we live it. Amongst famous artists of modern art are Salvador Dali, Henri
Matisse, Pablo Picasso and more.
Salvador Dali is popularly known as Dali. He is hugely popular
around the world for creating a new genre in art – surrealism. Dali is known
for his strange, right in the eye bizarre images. Dali got strongly influenced
by thoughts, ideas and artworks of the Renaissance period. Dali was eccentric
by nature and he drew attention of his critics who remained mostly irritated by
his weird antics and outrageous behaviour and public actions. Dali was
passionate about style, statement making and luxury. There have been several
films, sculptures and photography exhibitions carried pout by Dali in
collaboration with other artists.
Dali
was an excellent draftsman who produced skilled technical drawings. Dali gave
many art lectures around Europe. But his fame
was greatly popular in the USA.
Dali’s most famous paintings include “The Metamorphosis of Narcissus”, “Landscape
Near Figueras”, “Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee Around a Pomegranate a
Second Before Awakening” and “The Great Masturbator” which are some of his
greatest symbolic art representations. Besides painting Dali indulged in
writing and produced some great literary works like “The Secret Life of Salvador Dalí”, “Diary of
a Genius” and “Oui: The Paranoid-Critical Revolution”. Dali created great many
lithographs, etchings and graphic arts. Dali was a self proclaimed genius who
is referred for his paintings even in the modern times.
Funny fact: Salvador Dali once
conned Yoko Ono out of $10,000 by sending her a piece of dried grass instead of
a hair from his moustache.
Fearing that the widow of John Lennon
might use it for occult purposes, the surrealist master sent a blade of dried
grass when she asked for some hair.
The story has come to light in
recollections by Amanda Lear, a French singer, actress and model, who met Dali
in the mid 1960s and remained close to him until his death aged 84, in 1989.
"Throughout
his life, Dali could never resist the lure of a cheque," Miss Lear, now in
her 60s said. "Once he even sold a hair of his moustache to Yoko Ono.
Well, almost."
She went on to explain that "Dali thought that
Yoko Ono was a witch and might use it in a spell. He didn't want to send her a
personal item, much less one of his hairs. So he sent me to the garden to find
a dry blade of grass, and sent it off in a nice presentation box.
S→me
by Marina A.
