「Look at the Picture and Talk about the Painting」 Dali: Breaking boundaries in madness, shaping art with the meaning of dreams

“The difference between me and ordinary people is that I’m a lunatic, and the difference between me and a lunatic is that I’m not insane.” Salvador Dali, this genius of surrealism who sold dreams to reality, used two wavy wax mustaches to tilt the entire artistic boundary of the 20th century. His magic lies in the ability to transform the most absurd dreams into tangible realities.

In 1931, “The Eternal Memory” was born. Those floppy-looking clocks resembled cheese and became Dali’s trademark. This was no accidental flash of inspiration; it was the perfect embodiment of his unique “The Method of paranoid Criticism”. He sat quietly with a ladle in hand, in a state of semi-sleep and semi-wakefulness, capturing fragments of the subconscious and then solidifying them with the meticulous brushstrokes of the Renaissance. When ants gnawed at the pocket watch and when time melted on the canvas, Dali showed us that the end of rationality is the starting point of reality.

This artistic lunatic doesn’t confine himself to the canvas. The “Heart of Pomegranate” brooch designed for Muse Gala, with 46 rubies pulsating as if real, infuses love into the mechanical soul. When collaborating with Schiaparelli on the “Lobster Dress”, he brought surreal symbols onto the Paris haute couture runway, proving that art and life have no boundaries. The most absurd yet profound thing is his two sideburns paying homage to Velazquez. Carefully waxed and standing upright, some even offer to buy a single one for $10,000. This is not simple decoration; it is a walking surreal art piece.

From the melting clocks, the pulsating jewels to the iconic mustaches, he proved that art is not about replicating reality, but rather allowing dreams to penetrate every crevice of life. When we gaze at his works, what we see is not just the bizarre, but also the persistence and faith in art hidden beneath the seemingly crazy appearance.

The tea for today is all gone. Next time, I’ll brew a fresh pot and enjoy art with you again.