Genius or clown? Paris show weighs Dali legacy
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A visitor looks at the painting Le visage de la guerre 1940 (The face of the War) by Spanish artist Salvador Dali (1904-1989) during the press visit of the exhibition "Dali" at the Centre Pompidou modern art museum, also known as Beaubourg, in Paris November 19, 2012. The exhibition, which is a retrospective to one of the great figures in 20th century art, Salvador Dali, will run from Nov 21, 2012 to March 25, 2013. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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A visitor looks at the painting Chair de poule inaugurale, 1928 (Inaugural Gooseflesh) by Spanish artist Salvador Dali (1904-1989) during the press visit of the exhibition "Dali" at the Centre Pompidou modern art museum. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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An art piece entitled Buste de femme retrospectif (Retrospective Bust of a Woman) 1933 by Spanish surrealist artist Salvador Dali is displayed during an exhibition devoted to his work at the Centre Pompidou. -- PHOTO: AFP
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A visitor looks at the painting Autoportrait, 1972 by Spanish artist Salvador Dali (1904-1989) during the press visit of the exhibition "Dali" at the Centre Pompidou modern art museum. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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A visitor looks at at paintings Portrait de madame Isabelle Styler-Tas (Melancolie) 1945 (Portrait of Mrs. Isabel Styler-Tas - Melancholy) (L) and Metamorphose de Narcisse 1937 (Metamorphosis of Narcissus) by Spanish artist Salvador Dali (1904-1989) during a press visit of the exhibition "Dali" at the Centre Pompidou modern art museum. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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A visitor looks at a painting Plage enchantee avec trois graces fluides vers 1938 (Enchanted Beach With Three Fluid Graces) by Spanish artist Salvador Dali (1904-1989) during a press visit of the exhibition "Dali" at the Centre Pompidou modern art museum. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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An art piece entitled Le veston aphrodisiaque (Aphrodisiac jacket) by Spanish surrealist artist Salvador Dali is displayed during an exhibition devoted to his work at the Centre Pompidou. -- PHOTO: AFP
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A visitor looks at the Rita Mae West room by Spanish artist Salvador Dali (1904-1989) during a press visit of the exhibition "Dali" at the Centre Pompidou modern art museum. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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A visitor looks at the painting Le piano rouge ou L'orchestre rouge, 1957 (The Red Orchestra) by Spanish artist Salvador Dali (1904-1989) during the press visit of the exhibition "Dali" at the Centre Pompidou. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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A visitor looks at the painting Construction molle avec haricots bouillis (Premonition de la guerre civile) 1936 (Soft Construction with Boiled Beans - Premonition of Civil War) by Spanish artist Salvador Dali (1904-1989) during the press visit of the exhibition "Dali" at the Centre Pompidou. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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A visitor looks at the painting Paysage avec jeune fille sautant a la corde 1936 (Landscape with Girl Skipping Rope) by Spanish artist Salvador Dali (1904-1989) during the press visit of the exhibition "Dali" at the Centre Pompidou. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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A visitor looks at a painting entitled Peche au thon (Tuna Fishing ) by Spanish surrealist artist Salvador Dali during an exhibition devoted to his work at the Centre Pompidou. -- PHOTO: AFP
A visitor looks at the painting Le visage de la guerre 1940 (The face of the War) by Spanish artist Salvador Dali (1904-1989) during the press visit of the exhibition "Dali" at the Centre Pompidou modern art museum, also known as Beaubourg, in Paris November 19, 2012. The exhibition, which is a retrospective to one of the great figures in 20th century art, Salvador Dali, will run from Nov 21, 2012 to March 25, 2013. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
A visitor looks at the painting Chair de poule inaugurale, 1928 (Inaugural Gooseflesh) by Spanish artist Salvador Dali (1904-1989) during the press visit of the exhibition "Dali" at the Centre Pompidou modern art museum. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
An art piece entitled Buste de femme retrospectif (Retrospective Bust of a Woman) 1933 by Spanish surrealist artist Salvador Dali is displayed during an exhibition devoted to his work at the Centre Pompidou. -- PHOTO: AFP
A visitor looks at the painting Autoportrait, 1972 by Spanish artist Salvador Dali (1904-1989) during the press visit of the exhibition "Dali" at the Centre Pompidou modern art museum. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
A visitor looks at at paintings Portrait de madame Isabelle Styler-Tas (Melancolie) 1945 (Portrait of Mrs. Isabel Styler-Tas - Melancholy) (L) and Metamorphose de Narcisse 1937 (Metamorphosis of Narcissus) by Spanish artist Salvador Dali (1904-1989) during a press visit of the exhibition "Dali" at the Centre Pompidou modern art museum. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
A visitor looks at a painting Plage enchantee avec trois graces fluides vers 1938 (Enchanted Beach With Three Fluid Graces) by Spanish artist Salvador Dali (1904-1989) during a press visit of the exhibition "Dali" at the Centre Pompidou modern art museum. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
An art piece entitled Le veston aphrodisiaque (Aphrodisiac jacket) by Spanish surrealist artist Salvador Dali is displayed during an exhibition devoted to his work at the Centre Pompidou. -- PHOTO: AFP
A visitor looks at the Rita Mae West room by Spanish artist Salvador Dali (1904-1989) during a press visit of the exhibition "Dali" at the Centre Pompidou modern art museum. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
A visitor looks at the painting Le piano rouge ou L'orchestre rouge, 1957 (The Red Orchestra) by Spanish artist Salvador Dali (1904-1989) during the press visit of the exhibition "Dali" at the Centre Pompidou. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
A visitor looks at the painting Construction molle avec haricots bouillis (Premonition de la guerre civile) 1936 (Soft Construction with Boiled Beans - Premonition of Civil War) by Spanish artist Salvador Dali (1904-1989) during the press visit of the exhibition "Dali" at the Centre Pompidou. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
A visitor looks at the painting Paysage avec jeune fille sautant a la corde 1936 (Landscape with Girl Skipping Rope) by Spanish artist Salvador Dali (1904-1989) during the press visit of the exhibition "Dali" at the Centre Pompidou. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
A visitor looks at a painting entitled Peche au thon (Tuna Fishing ) by Spanish surrealist artist Salvador Dali during an exhibition devoted to his work at the Centre Pompidou. -- PHOTO: AFP
PARIS (AFP) - Twirling his waxed moustache, Salvador Dali's larger-than-life figure was beamed into millions of homes in the 1960s, his televised antics bringing huge fame, but burning his bridges with the art world.
Now a major new Paris exhibit aims to reinstate that legacy, putting Dali's media stunts - burying himself in banknotes, signing books wired to a brain monitor, even ad campaigns - on equal footing with his surrealist painting.
"We wanted to show Dali in his full splendour, from one end to the other of his career," said Mr Alfred Pacquement, director of the Pompidou Centre modern art museum, which hosted the last major retrospective on the Spanish artist in 1979.
Co-produced with Madrid's Reina Sofia museum, the four-month show that opened on Wednesday brings together more than 200 paintings, sculptures, along with drawings, writings and television clips from the 1920s to the 1980s.
