Doin' Dali in Downtown Figueres

So what are your feelings about Salvador Dali?  Mr. Paradis has always been a fan but moi, not so much.  I guess I never really "got" him?  Aesthetically his work never did much for me, and I thought his ideas were a little overwrought, fantastical, self-indulgent......but I'm open minded so, since we were staying in the Pyrenees Orientales on a so-called "beach vacation" it seemed a good idea to nip over the border and visit the Dali museum (which I'd been reminded of, by a Rick Steve's episode practically the evening just before our departure and which I highly recommend.)

It was easy to get into Figueres and to find a parking structure with open spaces right next to the Dali Museum.  Yay!  A few steps along a little plaza lined with restaurants and a Sex Shop.  Who knew this about Spain -practically the first thing you see just over the border from France was a SEX SHOP located in a freeway plaza.  ?!

Not that Mr. Dali would be likely to find this juxtaposition untoward.  Anyone who thinks it's appropriate to perch a stone portrait of one of the great ancients atop a tower of tractor tires has got to be even more open-minded than moi-meme.  I'm going to let you make your own interpretation of this pairing.  I have my own ideas.

And so speaking of juxtapositions, get ready for more and MORE!

A frieze of bathroom sinks anyone?  A sailboat dripping black blobs?  Another tower of tires?

I took tons of pictures, you don't need to see them ALL.  Especially since the point of this post

is to remind you and myself that there's nothing better, more impressive, or that makes sense in understanding an artist, than seeing the actual work face to face, in it's original state.  Happily, in the case of Mr. Dali, we get to see it in a context absolutely authentic to him, and of his own choosing.

My biggest "take away" is how remarkably gifted an artist he was, with a quick and vivid fantastical

mind.  His references span hundreds of prior centuries, but his work is emphatically modern.  Andy Warhol, Jeff Koons, Mike Kelly......all three have changed our ideas about art.  When you visit the Dali Museum in Figueres, you are reminded by the fact that:  DALI GOT THERE FIRST!

You can take away a souvenir for a price.  I left this little piece of plastic behind.  Just grateful that photos are free!  (So far.)  BRAVO DALI!

So I'm guessing some of you have already been.....what did you think?