Salvador Dali and his Unique Artworks Research Paper

Salvador Dali and his Unique Artworks - Research Paper Example Dali’s artistic works that carried strange expressions won a lot of publicity in the world. Dali had a characteristic personal branding in both art and appearance. The unique personal brand added to his publicity. Dali won immeasurable publicity that drew criticism. While some people acknowledged the true worth of his work in making him famous, some people thought that he over commercialized himself. However, Dali’s work deserved the credit it earned because he had real talent evident from his artistic works. The beginning of the 20th century in 1904 saw the birth of one Salvador Dali, to a well up agricultural family in Catalonia, Spain (James 23). His parents were Dali Cusi and Felipa Domenech. His birth was unique as his parents thought he was a reincarnation of their older child who had not lived beyond nine months. Dali accepted the reincarnation story at five years. In addition to their home in Catalonia, the family had a house in Cadaques where they stayed over s ummer. The stay in cadaques had great influence on Dali’s work. Dali had a close relationship with his mother but not with his politically influential father. Dali’ enrolled into school at a tender age of four at Escuela public school. Due to his inability to concentrate in school, his father sent him to a private school. However, Dali did not progress well in school. On the contrary, Dali occupied himself with reminiscences of his summer holidays. His summer holidays presented the only opportunity for him to do what he liked best. He was lucky to find an art mentor at Cadaques where they spent summer. Ramon Pichot, a close ally to the family, mentored Dali up his way to art since childhood. Pichot had links with Pablo Picasso, an influential artist of that time. In 1922, Dali joined the San Fernando academy of art, a venture that would determine his future as an artist. In the academy in Madrid, Dali got the opportunity to express himself freely. It is in the academy where Dali started out on his unique dressing style that would later earn him criticism and publicity. In addition, in the academy, he made friends with whom he walked along his career with forming partnerships with them at times. These friends included Garcia Lorca and Luis Bunuel. According to the Dali Museum Inclusive, during his time in the academy, he explored different art styles in search of his true artistic identity. He tried out cubism, futurism, and purism. He kept himself updated on these styles by reading journals. His work began to appear in galleries and soon he gained the confidence to hold solo exhibitions. He also displayed his work in multiple exhibitions. Due to his talent and increasing artistic adventure, he realized that he was not getting enough challenge from his instructors. This attitude led to his trials to criticize the academy administration. At some point, the academy could not hold him any more. After the dismissal from the academy, he embarked on pai nting back in his hometown. Dali’s works evoke varied emotions. He was too radiant in expressing themes that no longer appealed the Spaniard exhibitions. His thematic exploration at this time was mutilation and decay. Dali’s career took a different turn in 1929 because he ventured into a partnership with his friend from the academy Luis Bunuel (Ross 80). The duo created an avant-garde film that exposed violence and dead bodies. The film titled ‘An Andalusian Dog’ brought the two artists international recognition because it fetched great market. Because of the fame, Dali moved to Paris, where he became a member of the surrealists. The surrealists belonged to an art culture that believed in representing objects

John Steinbeck's novel Cannery Row - Look at them Essay

John Steinbeck's novel Cannery Row - Look at them - Essay Example The novel explains the grassroots realities of life, in its positive and negative aspects, its glory and meanness and the Doc’s character is penned by the author to highlight the complexity of this philosophy. Steinbeck observes, the inhabitants are, "whores, pimps, gamblers, and sons of bitches," by which he meant everybody. Had the man looked through another peephole he might have said, "Saints and angels and martyrs and holy men," and he would have meant the same thing (1). Doc is a man of scientific approach, but at the same time, he is interested in enjoying the luxuries of day to day life. He is not the one to chase the perfect disciplines in life, but is willing to carry on happily with the available levels of discipline. The readers first see him leaving his Western Biological Laboratory for purchasing five quarts of beer. He is not interested to tread the beaten and routine tracks of life and exhibits defiance towards the vested interests that take control of the soci ety and his approach is evident in his suggested â€Å"method for getting revenge on a bank if anyone should ever want to: `Rent a safety deposit box, then deposit in it one fresh salmon and go away for six months.† (15)Thus Doc is an individual who accepts and lauds the contradictory facets of life and his Western Biological is a kind of experimental laboratory for the living things as per their levels of progression. A true philosopher (the realized soul) knows the past, present and the future and they are one with the, the great leveler of humankind, the Time. They are unaffected by the day to day agitations, ups and downs occurring in the world outside. The author compares Mack and the boys, the ordinary folks, to such philosophers as they have the capacity to survive in this world of pluralities and pairs of opposites, like happiness and sorrow, light and darkness etc. There are others, the simple types of people, to whom ignorance is bliss and they also remain happy, li ke philosophers, in all circumstances. The intelligent, successful and competitive people remain upset always; their mind is full of agitations over the business and secular challenges they face and the author categorizes them as men with â€Å" bad stomachs and bad souls†(142) but Mack and the boys are fit physically and mentally. They are carefree people, eat what they like, and do what they wish. They are free in every sense of the term. Steinbeck is a master in depicting the lives of the ordinary people and their perspective of life. Such people do not have the predefined goals in life and craze for aggrandizement of wealth; they just live life. Even though they live different types of life, their trials and miseries of life are of different categories and grades, yet there exists the common thread that binds them all. Their minds are not small, their behaviors and motives are great. Steinbeck has understanding and sympathy for the poor and the common people. His love for the lowest strata of the society, the economically poor, and his admiration for the nobility of human existence, can be observed throughout the novel. This reflection of Doc reveals the inside working of the mind of Steinbeck: â€Å"It has always seemed strange to me† said Doc. â€Å"The things we admire in men, kindness, generosity, openness, honesty, understanding, and feeling are the concomitants of failure in our system. And those traits that we detest, sharpness, greed, acquisitiveness, meanness, egotism, and self-interest are traits of success. And while men admire the quality of the first they love the produce of the second.† (143)Steinbeck is able to read the minds of his common characters well, the delineation, dialogue and situation building is