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Published: November 9th 2011
The NEW Dali Museum headed the to-do list for this trip to the Tampa/St. Petersburg area. It opened in January 2011. The Dali is located at 1 Dali Boulevard, St. Petersburg, Florida. The Michelin Guide calls it “among the ten buildings to see before you die.” It's worthy of the accolade!
Salvador Dali, one of the fathers of the Surrealism art movement and arguably one of the most complex and controversial artists of the 20th century, was born in Spain. The US was his second home. He attributed much of his fame and fortune to America and American themes like exploration and discovery by Columbus crop up frequently in the art.
We had experienced Dali’s work in St. Petersburg previously at the "old" Dali Museum. I say “experienced” because, while intriguing, it takes some time (and docent guiding) to understand the work well enough to say “understood or enjoyed!”
We used a very well organized audio system to guide us through the art. We slid the earphones off now and then to eavesdrop on a presentation by one of the very well-versed docents conducting tours.
The collection, reputed to be the largest grouping of Dali work outside
Lincoln
The actual title is "Gala (Dali's Wife) Contemplating the Mediterranean Sea Which at Twenty Meters Becomes the Portrait of Abraham Lincoln." Dali was Spanish, but he considered America his second home. This work was displayed at New York's Guggenheim during the US Bicentennial in 1976. This image is a scan from a Dali Museum Guide that we purchased in the Dali Gift Shop.
of Spain, is absolutely amazing! It is the legacy of the Morse family who made friends with Salvador and Gala Dali back in the 30’s. The exhibit progresses chronologically from a painting of Cadaques on burlap that Dali did as a thirteen year old through to the 1976 “Portrait of Lincoln.” Lincoln is one of Dali’s iconic ‘painting within a painting’ concepts which you “get” by standing 20 meters away from the work which at first looks like naked lady looking out the window. You’ll find the “Hallucinogenic Toreador,” various melting clocks as with the “Persistence of Memory,” a hologram of Alice Cooper biting the head off Venus Di Milo (shades of Ozzie Osborne and the bat), and an ethereal tribute to the founders of DNA called – “Galacidalidesoxiribunucleicacid” – say that fast! There are 96 paintings in all! Each as startling and shocking as it is mesmerizing.
The building, basically a hurricane safe bunker made very interesting inside with a spiral staircase at its core and outside with geodesic glass panels semi-wrapping the exterior, oozes Dali symbolism. The non-gallery spaces of the museum’s interior are punctuated with light and splendid views of St. Petersburg’s harbor thanks to the
Hallucinogenic Toreodor
Do you see the Toreodor? Start with one of the Venus DiMilo's as his nose. The green drape on a statue is his necktie. Are you seeing him? Photo scanned from a guide book we purchased at the Dali Gift Shop!
triangular glass panels of the geodesic “wrap.” Michelin Guide lists it as “among the 10 buildings to see before you die!”
Photos are allowed in the non-gallery space, and, of course in the garden on the waterfront side. The garden is made surreal by the placement of giant rocks (not unlike a moonscape) from Cape Creus
near Cadaques, Dali’s boyhood summer home in Spain. A labyrinth (gratefully short) adds to the mystical theme. A newly planted Banyan tree sports ribbons of tied on museum admission wrist bands. After their tour of the museum, people make a wish and attach them to the tree.
We saved the short film for the end of our tour after enjoying a Spanish style snack from the Café Gala. We found the gift shop amazing; especially the jewelry counter and the book section. That’s where we bought the book that the scanned images of samples of Dali’s art accompanying this blog come from.
The Dali Museum opens daily at 10am and closes at 5:30PM. Exceptions are Sundays when it opens at noon and Thursdays with a late closing at 8pm. Admission: Adults: $21, Seniors 65+, Military, Police and Firefighters: $19, Children 13 to
18 & students 18+ with ID: $15, Children 6 to 12: $7, and Children 5 and younger: free. After 5 p.m. on Thursday, admission is a bargain - $10.
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jeff
non-member comment
...looks like fun !!
as always..excellent !