Page 12 - Studio International - September 1966

`An ecstatic blossoming'

Comment by Jasia Reichardt

What is a 'scene' ? of the national world, is summed up in a `Secret Life', Dali extends his hand
That rather vague phenomenon increasingly short and reserved biographical note towards Breton hoping for a warm forgiving
often referred to as a 'scene' in the art published in Patrick Waldberg's handshake from the leader of surrealism,
world does not bear analysis. Perhaps it is Surrealism*: whom he has obviously always admired
nothing more than the repetitive event of `Dali, Salvador: in his cryptic Dalinian way.
people getting together—like the same Born 1904 in Figueiras (Spain). Painter, The name Salvador, which for Dali
gathering taking place on different poet and essayist. stands for one thing only—one destined to
premises and talking about getting together, After futurist and cubist phases, entered save art from all the anarchistic movements,
and someone writing about it, and other the ranks of surrealism (1929) where his from dada to abstraction—was transformed
people talking about someone writing about work was trailed with enthusiasm. by Breton to `avida dollars'. Dali promptly
it. Since the 'scene' constitutes the Inventor of the "paranoiac-critical" decided to turn the insult into a prophecy
periphery of any given activity, its method. His painting employed academic and proceeded to throw his energies into
importance is secondary in so far as its technique to convey infantile obsessions. love of gold, coming finally to the conclusion
sole purpose is to draw attention to that Collaborated with Bunuel in 1931. Later that the only way to spiritualize matter
activity. It invariably involves groups of acquired a universal reputation as a is to fill everything with gold. Dali became
people divided into participants, associates, result of constant self-advertisement and an expert on gold and success, he gave
and audience. There is only one 'scene' social scandals. Now lives in Cadaques advice to impecunious young artists saying,
where these three functions are imperially (Spain).' among other things, that it is helpful to
assumed by a single individual—i.e. the have a developed taste for expensive food,
scene of paranoiac critical activity, Dali's break with the surrealist movement which is invariably free if one goes to
established in 1929 by Salvador Dali, its was a direct consequence of his obsession enough parties, as opposed to indifferent
inventor, apologist, publicist, and sole with Hitler, who appeared to him as a food for which one has to pay.
member. He defined it as a 'spontaneous woman. 'Every time I started painting The Diary of a Genius is one of those
method of irrational understanding based the leather strap that ran from his belt impossible exposes of egocentricity which
upon the interpretative critical across the opposite shoulder, the softness are tedious until one begins to read
association of delirious phenomena'. of the Hitlerian flesh squeezed into the between the lines. Like a pornographic
Dali's highly idiosyncratic scene, which military tunic brought me to a state of book which is not a work of literary merit,
exists on the periphery of his main ecstasy that was simultaneously gustatory, this volume also devotes too much space to
activity as a painter, does not admit milky, nutritive, and Wagnerian, and the sensational—whether it be the art of
anyone else, with the exception of the made my heart beat violently, a very rare fasting, Dali's ecstatic defecations (a key to
superwoman Gala Dali who is permitted emotion I don't experience even when I'm longevity) or his apparently preposterous
to participate in his secret, irrational, and making love.' The picture of Hitler's death claims. The baroque text and its general
mystical ventures. Dali's short affiliation `The Enigma of Hitler', despite explanations tone suggest an intent to catch and hold
with the surrealist movement clearly that it was strictly paranoid and essentially the reader's attention by whatever means,
manifested his unwillingness to take part apolitical, was finally the cause of his in order to give vent to some perplexing
in group manifestations, however close expulsion from the surrealist movement. ideas and to find a vehicle for the writer's
these might have been to his own aims His contact with Breton has never been own amusement.
and sympathies. His relationship with re-established. Much of the text that might have been
the surrealists, whom he believed to be In his Diary of a Genius,** the first of risque twenty years ago but today appears
capable of freeing man from the tyranny nine volumes which are a sequel to his devoid of any anarchistic or revolutionary

Contributors to this issue Until recently he taught at Gloucester School of Art later this year. The book has been edited by Alan
and now teaches at Corsham. Bowness, who writes the introductory note on Davie's
paintings. It will have more than 100 full-size plates
Jasia Reichardt, who contributes a monthly Com- Anthony Fawcett is handling public relations for the (about 40 of them in colour), a full documentation,
ment to Studio International, is assistant director of Museum of Modern Art, Oxford. and a comprehensive list of Davie's larger works,
the Institute of Contemporary Arts. several of the artist's poems, and statements made on
Of the work of Alan Davie, the painter, Mr Ronald various occasions.
Edward Lucie-Smith, the poet and critic, is a regular Alley has written: 'Though he was influenced initially
contributor to Studio International. He recorded inter- by certain kinds of American painting, he has created Statements by the painters Howard Hodgkin, Pat-
views with Frank O'Hara, Henry Geldzahler and a something which is very much his own — tough, rick Hughes, Norman Toynton and Patrick Procktor
number of other American literary and artistic figures almost clumsy, never pretty, and with a Celtic em- (page 140 et seq) arise out of an I.C.A. symposium
during a visit to the United States last autumn. phasis on intuition and magic.' held in March.
The colour reproductions of paintings by Alan Davie
John Furnival, the painter, lives in Gloucestershire which appear in this issue together with his state- Cyril Barrett lectures in philosophy and aesthetics at
and is closely connected with the group somewhat ment / confess will appear in the monograph now the University of Warwick. He contributes to Das
erroneously called the Gloucestershire lettristes. being prepared by Lund Humphries for publication Kunstwerk and other journals.