Denisse Ramirez  

November 30th, 2018 

Creative Expressions  

Prof. Davidow 

Two Genre Assignment 

 

Journal Entry 

Salvador Dali was a surrealist artist who created some of the most eccentric pieces of art that the public has seen. Crucifixion was painted in 1954, post WWII. The media used for this painting was oil on canvas, measuring 76 ½ inches long and 48 ¾ inches wide. The purpose of surrealism is to release the creative potential of the unconscious mind by the irrational juxtaposition of images. Nuclear mysticism is one of the many themes used in the painting. It is the philosophical interpretation of quantum mechanics used to explain the phenomena of consciousness seeking to explain actual reality in contrast to perceived reality. Considering that the artwork was done after an important event, WWII, this had an impact on Dali as much as any other person during this period. The personal conflict of Dali’s beliefs has also affected the painting in how it is interpreted.  With the influences of his personal life, political events, and philosophical mindset, Crucifixion is filled with many symbols that describe his inner being.  

The actual reality and perceived reality of Salvador Dali are crucial to the theme of his paintings. The actual reality being the world as the average person would see it, ordinary and boring. The perceived reality being the world that Dali has created based on his unconsciousness from what he has experienced from actual reality.  

 

Textbook Biography 

Salvador Dali was a famous Spanish surrealist painter born on May 11th, 1904. Dali is famous for his surreal paintings that consist of different symbols and stories of his dreams that reflect of his personal life. He expressed these dreams and events from his personal life in the paintings with several symbols for the viewer to depict and figure out what the symbol means. In the painting of the Crucifixion painted in 1945, we see a figure on a crucifix, resembling Jesus Christ in form of his mortal death. His body decaying, by using green and yellow paints showing that the body is dead and no longer living, as a fleshly warm body would be. In the foreground is a figure looking up to the crucifix, this figure is seen to have a connection to whoever is on the cross. The figure and the crucifix are both symbols themselves. The body on the cross is not Jesus Christ, but one of Salvador Dali’s friends he used to paint as Christ to use a symbol of Dali. It is Dali on the cross, in the form of a different person. The figure seen looking up to the crucifix is also thought to be a disciple or the Virgin Mary but is Dali’s wife. This is connected to the complex relationship to Dali and his wife. The entire painting has symbols of his religion, the environment of World War II, and how he expresses his emotions towards the events through this painting.