What is an Author?

  

 There is a certain weight to a name that bestows authenticity and accountability to art. As Foucault argues in “ What is an Author?”, a name is more than a mere gesture; it is a form of description. This concept is particularly relevant in the realm of visual arts, where artists communicate through images, creating a visual narrative. Art movements are often associated with names, as these artists craft a distinct visual discourse in their imagery. A name, in this context, serves as a form of classification, allowing art to be compared, contrasted, and ultimately, given credibility.

 

Salvador Dali, a figure of immense renown, was born in 1904 in Catalonia, Spain, and played a pivotal role in the Surrealist movement. His expulsion from the group in 1934, far from diminishing his influence, served to further intertwine his name with the movement. The Surrealist movement, ignited by André Breton’s “ Manifesto of Surrealism,” sought to blur the boundaries between reality and the subconscious. Surrealism, akin to Freudian psychology, shared a fascination with the unconscious mind and the erotic, and 'readily accepted the sexual connotations Freud saw in everyday objects and incorporated such ideas into their own art' (Lutz, 2023). This underscores the profound influence an artist's name can have on an entire artistic movement.

 

Salvador Dali’s “Persistence of Memory” (1931) is one of the most famous artworks in the world. It can be argued that it is one of the first artworks that comes to mind when one thinks of surrealism. The painting is a dreamlike beach landscape with water and mountains in the distance. Fashioned after Dali’s Catalonia beaches in Spain. There are limp watches draped about the composition, filled with organic shapes reminiscent of figurative forms. Ants, a common theme in Dali’s work, represent decay clustered around the composition as if attacking the watches. Time has no meaning, and we are victim to it. The artwork has Dali’s reoccurring themes of ants as a symbol of decay and even imagery of his homeland, giving credibility to the artist. The melting clocks are iconic imagery associated with Dali and the Surrealist movement. If another artist created melting clocks, it would be compared and contrasted to Salvador Dali’s artwork in its value and credibility as an art form. Dali’s imagery is deeply associated with his name and credibility as an artist. Knowing his background and fascination with psychopathy and the unconscious affects how the viewer views the artwork in association with the artist. Hearing the name Salvador Dali brings an expectation of surrealist elements in the artwork. Dali’s name and the surrealist movement and visual elements are intimately entwined.

                                          The Persistence of Memory (1931) Salvador Dali

                                                                  References

Foucault, M. (1969). What is an Author?

Lutz, R. C. (2023). Surrealism Is Born. Salem Press Encyclopedia.