We made the trek today up to see the Salvador Dali exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art today. It was a gorgeous day, perfect for a road trip. Traffic was cooperative for the most part on I-95 and we breezed into the City of Brotherly Love a little before our entry time of 1:00 pm.
I must say that I have only seen a few Dali works live prior to this so I was eagerly anticipating the exhibit. There were over 200 pieces on display and they did an excellent job of showcasing his development and evolution as an artist over the course of his lifetime. The accompanying narrative audio provided considerable insight into his conflicts with his father and his relationship with Gala, his eventual wife.
The exhibit space, however was a disappointment. I recognize that this sort of blockbuster exhibit is going to attract huge crowds and I thought I was prepared, but it was claustrophobic at best. Too many people crammed into too small a space, too low ceilings in many rooms, inadequate ventilation, etc. etc. I felt like I had been through the wringer upon exiting. Im sure the museum was limited in their options for where it could be staged, but maybe they could have sold 10% fewer tickets and thinned the crowds a little.
Anyway, enough bitching. Dalis work is amazing. The images he was able to extract from the dream world in his brain and actually realize on canvas are still, to this day, some of the most striking, disturbing, provocative and amazing that you can imagine. If you have the chance to see this exhibit (go on a weekday!), or visit one of the other Dali museums I cant recommend it highly enough.
Learn more about the exhibit at:
http://www.philamuseum.org/exhibitions/exhibits/dali/sp_ex/index.html
I must say that I have only seen a few Dali works live prior to this so I was eagerly anticipating the exhibit. There were over 200 pieces on display and they did an excellent job of showcasing his development and evolution as an artist over the course of his lifetime. The accompanying narrative audio provided considerable insight into his conflicts with his father and his relationship with Gala, his eventual wife.
The exhibit space, however was a disappointment. I recognize that this sort of blockbuster exhibit is going to attract huge crowds and I thought I was prepared, but it was claustrophobic at best. Too many people crammed into too small a space, too low ceilings in many rooms, inadequate ventilation, etc. etc. I felt like I had been through the wringer upon exiting. Im sure the museum was limited in their options for where it could be staged, but maybe they could have sold 10% fewer tickets and thinned the crowds a little.
Anyway, enough bitching. Dalis work is amazing. The images he was able to extract from the dream world in his brain and actually realize on canvas are still, to this day, some of the most striking, disturbing, provocative and amazing that you can imagine. If you have the chance to see this exhibit (go on a weekday!), or visit one of the other Dali museums I cant recommend it highly enough.
Learn more about the exhibit at:
http://www.philamuseum.org/exhibitions/exhibits/dali/sp_ex/index.html
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Life imitating art, I guess.
Take care, my friend.
~cheers