A Signboard of Abstraction

Surrealist artist, author and provocateur Salvador Dalí finally made his way to India thanks to the curation by Christine Argillet, daughter of Pierre Argillet, Dali's publisher and lifelong friend.

- 

The exhibition Dalí Comes to India', held from February 7 to 13 at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, showcased nearly 200 of his artworks from the Argillet Collection. At the venue, Argillet spoke to Apeksha Priyadarshini about her cherished memories of and experiences with her father's favourite artist. Excerpts

How and why was Dalí fascinated with India?

Dalí was a very open-minded person. When he got married to Gala, in the late 20s, he went to eight different places of worship. He had this sense of universalism. In the mid-60s, he worked for Air India and made a fabulous ashtray with swans. When my father and I visited India in 1970, my father—an excellent photographer—returned from the tour with nearly 500 photos. Dalí said, “I’m very interested in India. I see a parallel between what westerners look for in their quest for the orient and what people of the orient seek in the West.”

He worked on some elements of destiny and fate, often representing yin yang and animals like cows, tigers and elephants. The elephants—common in Dalí’s works—are usually represented with very long legs and a ray that induces sleep or hypnosis. Dalí was interested in all kinds of spiritual quests—Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim. He saw all religions and their philosophies as a way to connect us and not separate us, which is very important in his work.

Could you tell us about his transition from Impressionism to Surrealism, while also dabbling in Dadaism and Cubism?