“Salvador Dalí: Gardens of the Mind will explore Dalí’s work through the lens of a botanical garden, illuminating how nature played a vital role in his art,” says Jennifer Rominiecki, president and CEO of Selby Gardens. “We look forward to welcoming our guests into a world inspired by Dalí’s imagination, where the playful and unexpected take center stage.”
“Flordali, a rarely seen and little-known body of work by the artist, features flowers unlike any in nature” observes Dr. Carol Ockman, curator at large. “These whimsical works provide a unique entry into Dali’s Surrealist legacy, highlighting the enduring presence of his beloved Catalonian landscape as well as his debts to historic botanical illustrations and Renaissance perspective.”
Known for his artistic virtuosity, flamboyant mustache and bravura showmanship, Dalí spent his childhood in Figueres, Spain, and at the family's summer home in the coastal fishing village of Cadaqués. In later years he would live with his wife, Gala, in nearby Port Lligat. His famous spectral vistas consistently conjure this region in northeastern Spain.