50 States, Day 251

Treasure Island and Thereabout,  0 Miles (not counting the rental car)

"We can let circumstances rules us, or we can take change and rule our lives from within."
~Earl Nightingale



Today we visited the Salvador Dali Art Museum, and I'm here to tell you I'm an ignorant, redneck, lowbrow uneducated simpleton, and proud of it! This is how it looked to me:

Dali, born in Spain in 1905, was a natural artist. He was painting in his teens, and had a quality that was excellent. Once he got some fame, all the brakes came off and he painted some crap. For instance, 'Topical Contortion of a Female Figure Becoming a Cello.' Yes, a woman's body morphs into a musical instrument. I don't get it. Don't want to, either. Stand there, stare at this ridiculous painting until the painting speaks to me. Of course, no photographs. 


Another? 'Bed and Two Bedside Tables Ferociously Attacking a Cello.' Even I can get that one. The cello represents women, and the furniture  pieces are misogynist. Oh, I'm not picking out the weird ones. He painted another of his youth as a grasshopper. For those of you who may have been grasshoppers in your youth, I apologize.   

His painting skills seemed excellent to me. And he could paint one picture with another hidden in it, a true leader in his time. But then- if I was him I'd blame the LSD- it got really strange.


For you car buffs, the 'Rainy Rolls Royce' should entertain. Take a RR, stick a mermaid in the back with a driver wearing scuba gear (along with his suit, of course) and run rainwater inside the windows, with thunder and lightning. We get IN the car to escape the rain, right? He just changed it up. And while he was at it, he ran the mermaid's flipper up through the roof. 


Anyone who's famous can do this. Think Lady Gaga. Or the Beatles. Think anyone else could sell more than ten copies of The White Album? Nope. I can think of a few writers that punch out bestselling junk too. 


The building was cool. The stairway curlicued up to the third floor and looked like it just kept corkscrewing upward. Cool glass... uh, things... that looked like fly eyes. Oh that's right, he liked flies, stuck hundred in paintings like troops. 

Enough whining, the exhibit was quite interesting, and so was Dali. Like he would appear in public wearing a conch shell on his head. Or a loaf of bread. We saw a display of his suit for a party, resplendent with shot glasses that looked like they were half full, with Spanish Flies in them. And a bra over his shirt and tie. Definitely an interesting guy. 

And now, culturally confused but keeping her sense of humor, Quilter Girl!



The Dali Museum was not the only fun thing we did today.  We found a pottery studio in the arts district that had potters working and lots of their craft for sale.  There were many very creative clay things, including small crosses that were decorated to be used as a blessing for people to pass on.  They were very creative and I loved the idea, but the idea of having to mail them made me leave them.  There was this cute little statue in the entry that I loved also.  Kevin saves so much money because I can't take anything with me.  


Now we are getting ready for the cruise with our new clothes and suitcases.  I am looking forward to next week.

QG

Tomorrow we ride across the state to Fort Lauderdale for the cruise.

And don't forget the Author Culture Blog, if you're a writer. My latest blog is about 'Writing Crap I. ' Yes, sometimes a writer should. Check it out at www.authorculture.blogspot.com


3 comments:

Mel said...

Kevin, From one ignorant, redneck, lowbrow uneducated simpleton to another, a word of advice before you board the cruise ship: Don't walk on the poop deck in bare feet!

Mel said...

Kevin, I see you're not touchin' this one... must have forgotten your ten foot pole! Can't say I blame ya'!

Unknown said...

Actually if I need to talk to Sherri in a firm manner I'll go to the stern.
KP