LACMA - Dalí: Painting & Film

Saturday, instead of going to a Marine Corps Ball or some such other Leatherneck event, I went to LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) to see their exhibit of Dalí: Painting and Film. I think it goes until the 6th of January, so if you haven't seen it I recommend checking it out.

It was really very enjoyable. I don't go to enough art museums, although I like the feeling of having my mind kneaded by art.

It was also incredibly crowded! Wow! The first room was the worst, but after that it was OK. It was really refreshing to see a crowded art exhibit too; the stereotypical impression I have of art musuems is that "no one goes to them".

I don't actually know much about Salvador Dalí, but I do feel like I know a little more about him now than I did before. I also expected to see more melting clocks at the exhibit, but the only one I saw was The Persistence of Memory. There may have been another painting or two, but it's possible I didn't catch it.

Also on display is a Lobster Telephone; now that I've read the wikipedia article, I'm much more amused by it. Although I think the way the lobster is placed is appropriate; it would just look weird if it was facing the other way.

There were also films at the exhibit; Un Chien Andalou (the first film you find in the exhibit), the dream sequence from Spellbound, Destino, among others. My favorite was Destino, which was an animated collaboration with Disney. There's this incredible shot where a woman sees the shadow of a bell on sand, then dives into the sand. The shadow of the bell turns into a dress on the woman. I'd like to get it on DVD if/when they ever release it.

One of my favorite paintings from the exhibit was The Bleeding Roses, which depicts a woman with four roses on her abdomen that are bleeding. The sense of perspective is incredible; I really felt that the roses were coming out of the painting.

I definitely recommend checking this exhibit out - it's definitely worth the $15-$20 admission. It's $5 to park in their parking lot (I think it might be free after 5:00 PM), and there's lots of places to eat near the musuem.