The infamous surrealist: A genius with a right to indulge in whatever lunacy popped into his head

Picasso called Dalí "an outboard motor that’s always running." Dalí thought himself a genius with a right to indulge in whatever lunacy popped into his head.

Painter, sculptor, writer, and film maker, Salvador Dalí (1904-1989) was one of the century’s greatest exhibitionists and eccentrics - and was rewarded with fierce controversy wherever he went. He was one of the first to apply the insights of Sigmund Freud and psychoanalysis to the art of painting. Dalí brought extraordinary sensitivity, imagination, and concern for precision to bear upon submerged levels of consciousness.

This lively biography presents the infamous Surrealist Dalí in full colour and in his own words. His provocative ideas are all here, from the soft watches to the notorious burning giraffe. And the fantastic phenomenon that was Salvador Dalí is grasped entire and placed in its various contexts.

About the Series:
Each book in TASCHEN’s Basic Art series features:

a detailed chronological summary of the life and oeuvre of the artist, covering his or her cultural and historical importance
a concise biography
approximately 100 illustrations with explanatory captions