The Dali

The Dali Museum
One Dali Blvd.
St. Petersburg, FL  33701

 www.thedali.org

 

AT A GLANCE:  The Dali
Date of visit	January, 2021
Parking	Onsite parking, $10
Amount of time needed to peruse exhibits:	45 - 60 minutes
Amount of time needed for gift shop	30 – 40 minutes
The “must have” souvenir	Coffee cup or tea set with the famous “melting clock” on it
Online shopping	Limited.  If you see something you like, buy it.
Kid friendly shopping	Yes
Kid friendly	Yes
Dress code	Dress as to not offend your grandmother.
Be sure to…..	* Purchase tickets in advance, as they are required *
Nearby/other establishments to visit	Chihuly Collection at Morean Arts Center Imagine Museum
Walkability, general downtown area / amount of traffic	This area isn’t walkable
Safety, in terms of type and number of crimes committed in general area	Generally safe, but common-sense rules.  Lock your car and keep valuables out of sight.

 

 

Mission Statement

The Dalí Museum cares for and shares an expertly curated collection of Salvador Dalí’s work, preserving his legacy for generations to come. And, through Dalí -inspired events, exhibits & experiences, the Museum serves as an active resource in the cultural life of our community and the world at large.

 

It was a warm sunny day in January, not uncommon for Central Florida.  As we stood in line to enter the Dali Museum, I first noticed the ants crawling up the side of the building.  Right away, I knew that this was not going to be a boring museum.  I was right, but I get ahead of myself.

Let me introduce you to the man himself:  Salvador Dali.  The graphic below drops some strong hints on what this man was all about:

You’re perhaps familiar with his most famous works, The Persistence of Memory:

What is Dali trying to say with that picture?  Scholars have debated for years, and can only agree that time means different things to different people, with the melting clocks symbolizing either the past or the passage of time.  If that meaning is too obscure for you, as it is with me, this is what Albert Einstein says about the perspective of time:

“Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute, and it seems like an hour.  Sit with a pretty girl for an hour, and it seems like a minute.”  

Einstein seems straight forward in comparison to Dali.

So, that’s the man, now let’s take a look at his art. 

 

 

Surrealism isn’t my cup of tea, although I do adore the lobster phone.  In fact, what is surrealism and how / why did it come about?  Let’s go back a few years to the 1920s:  Sigmund Freud and his theories about the subconscious changing everyday items into “erotic images” were everywhere.   

 

 

 

The phrase, “sometimes a cigar is just a cigar” is in reference to this theory.  Another of Freud’s theories state that any kind of addiction was just a substitute for masturbation.  About the same time, some artists in Paris loosely grouped themselves as “surrealists”, that is, they believed in the greater reality of the subconscious mind.  As such, they believed in Freud.  Salvador Dali was a member of this Surrealism group, and his art blends Freud and subconscious thoughts, where common items are mutated or deformed while still being suggestive.  *wink wink*  Oh, Dali!  As I mentioned earlier, I’m not a fan of this art style, but I believe you should make a point to see this famous painter if you can. 

Now that you’re armed with all of this Dali knowledge, wander over to the painting, “Gala Contemplating the Mediterranean Sea which at Twenty Meters Becomes the Portrait of Abraham Lincoln-Homage to Rothko” and let your eyes settle on it. Start backing up until you see a different image, something akin to Abraham Lincoln’s likeness. 

 

 

I have to back up to the opposite wall of the exhibit, tilt head, and squint hard.  Sigh.  Still squinting.  Luckily, there’s many other Dali paintings to enjoy. 

I think it’s time to go shopping, yes?  The gift shop is goodly-sized and awesome.  

If you can’t find at least a half dozen things, you’re not trying hard enough.  I loved the coffee cups and tea sets, and selected them as this week’s must have souvenir.  

 

 I could have gone with a melting clock, but people would merely look at your melty clock and say, “Ah, Dali.”  You’d miss the chance to impress others with your Dali and Surrealism knowledge.  Now, when someone compliments your coffee cup you can come back with, “Ah, yes.  A rather good example of surrealistic art coupled with Salvador Dali.”  See the difference?  Be gentle.

 

Enjoy these other photos that I took of the gift shop while I wandered about:

 

 I enjoyed this gift shop, and my only complaint is the lack of affordable jewelry.  Here's all that I saw on display:

This museum and gift shop is worth the trip, and I hope you'll stop in if you ever get the chance.  Two more reasons to sway you to visit the Dali:  

1.  The Dali is home to the second largest collection of Dali art outside of his hometown in Spain.  

2.  The museum itself is a cool building and has won numerous architectural awards. The exterior photo, below, is courtesy of Google Maps while the interior shot is my own.

 

 

 That's Tampa Bay in the background.  There's so much to do in St. Petersburg, and I recommend setting an afternoon aside to visit the Dali.