The Persistence of Memory: Analysis of Salvador Dali's Artwork
An artwork by Salvador Dali's surrealist The Persistence of Memory (1931). Dali's work has always told me that there something we all hide within ourselves and tend to take it out in different forms. Talking about his painting, I initially found it very boring and non-sensical, but as I kept looking at the painting more and more. I kept asking myself certain questions; why are the clocks melting? Why are clocks placed in the desert? Where are all the humans? These questions where disturbing me because as an artist I was really curious to know why Dali would paint this? After looking more his works and studying about him I found Persistence of memory is a glimpse of what Dali saw in his dream. As an artist, it's essential to analyze artwork that sparks curiosity and leaves one with unanswered questions. The Persistence of Memory by Salvador Dali is an excellent example of such a painting. In this Persistence of memory analysis essay, we'll be looking into the significance of the melting clocks and deserted landscape to gain insight into Dali's surrealistic perspective.
Looking at the painting those melting clock told me how Dali must have experienced the inconstant passage of time while dreaming. His dream was so ambiguous that he couldn't he even tell how time was passing and that's why I think those melting and distorted clocks were a way to tell people how time is very unpredictable in your dreams and has no power in your dreamworld. Dali painted this painting when he was just twenty seven years old. In my opinion, the clock which is hanging on the tree which has no leaves or flowers and is dried up told me how for him time is just passing so quickly and he isn't able to feel the moment and live slowly, even though he had his whole life ahead of him.
Additionally, the clock on the tree gives a very deeper meaning to how the artist wants to say that time doesn't wait for anyone, he being twenty seven and him realising how time went to fast and how he didn't realise he got so old. I feel the value of time is what Dali wanted to express and make people believe that we all one day will be like that tree which has no life or a reason to be happy. It made me think about how if we don’t do things which makes us happy, we risk growing old regretting the past. I thought about how I didn't do something which I wanted to do and thinking about what something which meant nothing to me will think or listening to someone who didn't matter. I would be lot more happier than I am right now, so we should value the time and do things which make us bloom always and be a tree filled with flowers and leaves. Also taking the close look to the ants eating the red clock is something I drew attention to very late. It told me how dali feels for the nature. For him fleeting time with nature makes him realise nothing inconsistent and always changing. Nothing stays the same like and his permanent. His dreams are also not fixed and are changing every time he sees them.
The last thing which told me a lot about Dali is that he really missed his childhood, The uninhabited & deserted landscape in the painting could be of his hometown telling the autobiographical meaning of its childhood about how he is missing and remembering it always. The title of painting ‘Persistence of Memory’ show the memory of Dali's childhood and the place which now is not a part of him.
