Culture
Thinking and then painting outside the box
Dalí’s paintings at WAG for first time. By Gordon Gage
I
f you ever wanted to visualize what it might mean to “think outside the box”, then
perhaps a visit to the cur- rent Salvador Dalí exhibit at the Winnipeg Art Gal- lery (WAG) would be a good place to start. Dalí Up Close is on until Jan. 25 at the WAG and rep- resents the first time this world renowned artist has been shown here in Win- nipeg. Te opportunity to see
Dalí’s work is part of a much larger offering at the WAG titled “Master- works from the Beaver- brook Art Gallery – Dalí Up Close.” Dalí Up Close presents major paintings, watercolours, drawings, jewelry and sculpture by surrealist master Salva- dor Dalí, as well as the celebrated photographs produced with Philippe Halsman. Halsman photographed
draftsman but was best known for the striking and often bizarre images in his surrealist work. His artis- tic work is thought to have been attributed to the in- fluence of the Renaissance masters and his expansive repertoire included film, sculpture and photogra- phy created in collabora- tion with a range of artists in a variety of media. Dalí was highly cre-
Salvador Dalí “Santiago El Grande”, 1957. Courtesy of the Beaverbrook Art Gallery.
some of the most iconic figures of the mid-20th century, with 101 Life magazine covers to his credit. He met Dalí in 1941, and their fruitful collaboration lasted 37 years. Dr. Stephen Borys, director and
CEO of the WAG, stated, “I knew it would be wonderful to bring Dalí to Winnipeg. Te Beaverbrook exhibi- tion features three important paint- ings by Dalí (Santiago El Grande, La Turbie, and Equestrian Fantasy), and this for me was reason enough to bring the show to Winnipeg. “Te great Santiago El Grande, rarely travels and when it does, it can
34 • Winter 2014
only go to a museum that has large enough door openings and ceilings to accommodate it. Its sheer size – over four metres high – easily overwhelms the visitor, and the subject is equally breathtaking.” Dr Borys continues: “Te work rep-
resents a key moment in Dalí’s career. He considered it to be one of his most important works, and some scholars have called it one of the most signifi- cant works in the history of modern art.” Salvador Dalí was born in Spain in May 1904 and worked as a skilled
ative and imaginative and was known to indulge in unusual and grandiose behaviour. His character and eccentric manner can certainly be seen in his exceptional and thought provoking artwork. Dalí’s artistic career continued until his health deterio- rated in the early 1980s leaving him unable to continue his unique work. He died in 1989 in his home country of Spain at the age of 84.
Salvador Dalí’s work is extraordi-
nary, colourful and thought provok- ing, leaving one with a sense of awe trying to imagine what the artist was thinking about when creating these masterworks. You can certainly say that he thought “out of the box” and was a master at it. Don’t miss this opportunity to
view perhaps the most famous of the world’s surrealistic painters right here in Winnipeg at the Winnipeg Art Gallery’s Dalí Up Close, on until Jan. 25. For more information visit
wag.ca or call 204-786-6641.
The Hub
Photo provided by WAG.
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