Dali in New York 1965
Distributed by Microcinema International/Microcinema DVD, 1636 Bush St., Suite #2, SF, CA 94109; 415-447-9750
Produced by Jack Bond
Directed by Jack Bond
DVD, b&w, 57 min.
College - Adult
Art, Biography
Date Entered: 01/07/2009
Reviewed by Janis Tyhurst, Reference Librarian, George Fox UniversityDali in New York was filmed during two weeks around Christmas 1965 just before a Dali show was to take place at the Hartford Gallery of Modern Art. It is a combination of current reality show style done with bad home movie cinematography, showcasing the eccentric and narcissistic Dali as he plays to the camera and bops around various places in New York. The film is chaotic and the sound quality is poor. When Dali speaks, it is with a very strong accent and limited English vocabulary, making him difficult to understand.
The focus is on Dali the artist with very little emphasis on his art, although there is discussion about the brilliance of his techniques and imagination. As he plays to the camera, you see a man who needs to be the center of attention, behaving in a flamboyant manner, but secure in the belief that he is above censure. The elitism and snobbery of the 1960s modern art world is evident and embodied in Dali and his followers. This film will be of interest to those who want to see Dali as he wanted to be seen.