The FGCU Library’s new exhibit, “Dalí Interprets,” opens Thursday, Jan. 19, with a reception from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Library’s Archives and Special Collections on the third floor. The exhibit will be on display through April 25; viewing hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday.
Salvador Dalí (1904–1989) is best known for his contributions to Surrealist art, which favors the subconscious as a source for meaningful imagery. “Dalí Interprets” features works created by the famed surrealist from two collections: “Currier & Ives as Interpreted by Salvador Dali,” which is part of FGCU Library’s permanent collection, and “Changes in Great Masterpieces,” on loan from The Dalí Museum.
“Currier & Ives as Interpreted by Salvador Dalí” was inspired by popular images from the 19th century American firm, Currier & Ives, whose printmaking epitomized American nostalgia. The Currier and Ives realism is in sharp contrast to the vivid, somewhat disturbing imagery depicted by Dalí. Completed in 1971, the six lithographs feature a small facsimile of the Currier & Ives original surrounded by Dalí’s amplified interpretation.
“Changes in Great Masterpieces,” completed in 1974, is a suite of prints created as an homage to such renowned artists as Raphael, Vermeer, Rembrandt and Velasquez. Also coupled with facsimiles of the original work, Dalí recreates each individual masterpiece with his own playful changes using tempera and remarque. While Dalí reinterprets the revered masters’ work, his changes are subtler than the Currier & Ives suite. Notably, Dalí included his own famed “Persistence of Memory” in the suite.
For more information, contact Melissa VandeBurgt, Head of Archives, Special Collections, & Digital Initiatives, FGCU Library at (239) 590-7658 or Kaleena Rivera at (239) 590-7506.