The Shameful Life of Salvador Dalí

Ian Gibson has written a very well researched biography of one of the most enigmatic artists the world has given birth to: Salvador Dali Domenech. Gibson tries to give a rather impartial portrayal of this man, hated by some, adored by others but considered to be a genious by all. Sexually traumatized,insecure, extremely shy but at the same time self-centered, egocentric, excentric, exibitionist,superfitial, communist, anarachist, monarchist, conceited, a traitor to his own friends and ideals... A long etc wouldn't be enough to define who Dali really was. He lived in a fascinating era where he met fascinating people such as: Andre Breton, luis Bunuel, Garcia Lorca, Lawrence Olivier, Coco Chanel, Picasso,Christian Dior, Helena Rubinstein etc. Dali played a vital part in popular culture both in Europe and America. However, he was also considered to be a "sell out" by many, specially after the 1940's. As he grew old he became more and more excentric, his paintings being more and more shocking.A greedy person, he sorrounded himself by a court of "grand grotesques" (Notably transexual Amanda Lear) to Finally succomb to neumonia in the late 1980's Love him or hate him, but Dali is and was a unique personality without comparison.

Most biographies I've read, the opening chapters are a bore of mundane details of the person's childhood that are uninterestnig and nearly always read the same. In contrast, Ian Gibson's writing style is so lush, that even the detailed history of the Dali family before Salvador was born are compelling. Gibson gives you the feel of the Spanish countryside and the era in which Dali and his forefathers lived. Gibson is a careful biographer as well. Instead of taking Dali's own autobiography, "The Secret Life Of Salvador Dali," at face value, Gibson researches Dali's life and points out discrepencies and exaggerations of Dali writings. It led me to reread Dali's own writings and gave me further insight into the mind of the artist. I enjoyed reading about Dali's relationships with other painters (Surreal and otherwise), writers and poets such as Lorca, and his love of jazz. Far from a dry outline of a famous person's life, this book makes Dali come alive.

If you want to be spoon fed Freudian explanations about what Dali's paintings mean, look for something else. But if you want a richly detailed, absolutely readable biography of Dali, this is it. I can't wait to read Gibson's biography of Lorca, but for now, I'm savoring this one and I only wish it were longer.

Last week I read a review on a book by Ian Gibson, titled: "Dalí-Lorca, the love that could not be". It's about the feelings that existed between the two men, but which they could not express in times under Franco. I would like to get a copy of that book for my thesis, but I checked the Belgian bookstores, the internet. I was unable to find the book and even Reuters press agency -the review was published in a Belgian quality paper- could not help me. Have YOU heard of the book? Any help is welcome. Thanks.