Currently inspired by Salvador Dali. Lessons I’ve learned from him so far:
- Don’t be afraid of controversy. The more controversial he was, the more popular his work, and the more Dali was talked about.
- Have a signature look: Dalis crazy mustache and eccentric, luxurious clothing made him a fascinating spectacle.
- Be ridiculous: Dali often paid with restaurant bills by drawing sketches on the check. He said they would be more valuable than the price of the food. Dali was right.
- Play with perspective: As photographers, we can learn a lot from the way that Dali screws with our sense of perspective. His perspectives, some are real, some are false. Yet apparently he studied a lot of photography to better understand perspective, then break the rules.
- Yes, he made all his crazy psychedelic art works (NOT on drugs). You can be a sober artist and very imaginative.
- Be prolific until you die. Dali kept making art until he died in his 80s. I want to life a visually and artistically productive life until I die.
- Combine different fields: Toward the end of his life, Dali experimented with studying quantum mechanics and physics and these theories on life, beauty, and chaos. Quite interesting to see how his later work included cellos, fractal shapes, and things that looked like butterflies.
Still learning from Salvador Dali. Here are some of my favorite pieces by him, which I traced in ProCreate App on iPad:
