Saturday morning: NGV Members viewing of Salvador Dali: Liquid Desire at NGV International. Otherwise known as the Dali moshpit.
As I was brought to a halt by the conveyor belt of people, I quickly decided that I would have to come again another time. So I spent only about 30 minutes in the extensive exhibition, scanning each room for items that caught my eye and then honing in on those works only:
- Three young surrealist women holding in their arms the skins of an orchestra. The background of the painting was the surreal looking but actually accurate depiction of the Catalonian beaches of Cadaques with women holding a floating bubble of a grand piano and a flacid cello. The picture pulsed with a myriad of sexual connotations.
- The land. The remorse of conscience. An azure blue sky with a large curled scroll, an outsized hand and the terrorising elements of blood and faeces.
- Slave market with apparition of the invisible bust of Voltaire. A painting of lush velvet richness referencing religious Renaissance works and incorporating the optical trickery of a scull.
- Cyclops. A reworked photographic portrait created by a three-quarter view of Dali’s face and then reversing the negative for the second half of the exposure. It made me laugh because it made Dali look like a one-eyed Mr Potato Head.
- Phillipe Halsman’s jumping shots. Such lightness, humour and creativity in these famous photographs.
Otherwise I spent my time admiring the design of the galleries themselves: rich black vertical striped wallpaper with a bold centrepiece of blossoms which evoked an elegant salon; a red velvet corridor reminiscent of a throbbing throat.
To avoid the crowds, I think the best time to visit will be Saturday 3 October, when the exhibition will be open for 24 hours. Imagine coming to see the works in a deserted space at 2am, eating some Camembert and then reliving Dali’s surrealist world by experiencing a vivid cheese dream!
- Liquid Desire: Salvador Dali , NGV International, 180 St Kilda Rd, Southbank +61 3 8620 2222
I really liked it too! Not being much of a surrealist fan, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it wasn’t too busy when we went (mid morning, mid week). My favourite was the portrait of his wife in spheres, and the b&w photos. Didn’t think much of the Disney collaboration (the name of which escapes me), but I think that was largely due to the music. And I liked the textured wallpapers, even though they make my stupid astigmatism-affected eyes hurt.
Twitter: JackieCupcake
| August 30, 2009, 2:00 pm
Thanks for your comment Jackie. Due to the scrum on Saturday, I didn’t even get to see the portrait of Gala in spheres or the Disney collaboration. However, I do plan to go again so will keep a look out for those works and maybe do a part 2 post on the exhibition.