I recently spent a few days in Berlin and whilst I was there I decided to go to the Dali exhibition. Taking the tour I realised that a lot of what was talked about was evident within the work coincided with the research I am looking at in regards to composition and visual symbolism within imagery.
Process - Breaking the Rules
Something that stood out to me a lot was the way in which Dali knew the 'rules' of art/print and decided to break them anyway. He didn't like how long the process of print was in the beginning of his career, as he worked very spontaneously. However, he did end up using a lot of print work in his practice, although his methods were extremely unusual. Dali introduced things like shoot ink with a gun at his canvas, using rhino horn to paint with and exploding bombs to engrave his etching plates.
Composition
One of the most obvious elements within Dali's work is his use of dynamic and interesting compositions. My favourite was the second image. The figure in the foreground in contrast to the background is what initially drew me to the image, there is a sense of action and separation from the figures in the background - almost like a performance. Stylistically, it is very simple, but the use of a darker colour in the foreground makes you want to look closer into the frame. A theme found within Dali's work includes this kind of composition, it is sometimes confusing to interpret but makes you look closer, the story told in the image could be understood in many different ways - it is subjective.
One of the most obvious elements within Dali's work is his use of dynamic and interesting compositions. My favourite was the second image. The figure in the foreground in contrast to the background is what initially drew me to the image, there is a sense of action and separation from the figures in the background - almost like a performance. Stylistically, it is very simple, but the use of a darker colour in the foreground makes you want to look closer into the frame. A theme found within Dali's work includes this kind of composition, it is sometimes confusing to interpret but makes you look closer, the story told in the image could be understood in many different ways - it is subjective.
Symbolism & Hidden Meanings
Illusions are perhaps one of the things Dali's work is best known for, the 10th image demonstrates this well. The two faces of a man and a woman can be seen either side of the goblet. As well as illusions, Dali liked to put hidden symbols in his work - things that either contain more of a context to the overall image or something that is personal to Dali himself, eg. the moustache. As I am researching into readability of images, semiotics is very important. Why a symbol or motif is included can still be interpreted in many different ways, therefore one image can tell many stories. Looking closely at Dali's work is very important in order to try and interpret the meaning, in the second image a smaller army is hidden below the head of the figure - this could easily have been overlooked, but adds more context to someone who is not familiar with the original narrative of Don Quixote.
Illusions are perhaps one of the things Dali's work is best known for, the 10th image demonstrates this well. The two faces of a man and a woman can be seen either side of the goblet. As well as illusions, Dali liked to put hidden symbols in his work - things that either contain more of a context to the overall image or something that is personal to Dali himself, eg. the moustache. As I am researching into readability of images, semiotics is very important. Why a symbol or motif is included can still be interpreted in many different ways, therefore one image can tell many stories. Looking closely at Dali's work is very important in order to try and interpret the meaning, in the second image a smaller army is hidden below the head of the figure - this could easily have been overlooked, but adds more context to someone who is not familiar with the original narrative of Don Quixote.
Tristan & Iseult/Isolde
Taking the tour of the exhibition it was pointed out that Dali often played around with the depictions of men and women. For example, when portraying Tristan from the famous story of 'Tristan & Iseult' or 'Tristan & Isolde' (film, opera, etc), he is shown as a strong masculine figure, wielding a sword against the dragon. However, in the second image after Tristan is wounded he is depicted in a very feminine way. His long hair and prominent eyelashes, as well as the general body shape of the figure, contribute to this idea. Portraying a vulnerable Tristan in this way may be a reflection on how women are seen as a whole, associated with being a damsel-in-distress.
Action/Movement
Another thing that struck me about Dali's work is the way he describes action in different ways. Repetition of a figure is sometimes used within his work, as in the first image, to highlight a continuous movement. Other images depict this in a scenic way, using line of sight and layering of composition to hold the gaze of an audience. Process and use of inks, as seen in the fourth image, also contributes to the expression of motion.
Another thing that struck me about Dali's work is the way he describes action in different ways. Repetition of a figure is sometimes used within his work, as in the first image, to highlight a continuous movement. Other images depict this in a scenic way, using line of sight and layering of composition to hold the gaze of an audience. Process and use of inks, as seen in the fourth image, also contributes to the expression of motion.
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