Salvador Dalí

hen an artist has become as synonymous with an art history movement as Salvador Dalí has become to Surrealism, it seems almost surreal to meet someone who knew him on a personal and professional level. Madame Christine Argillet is one such person: The daughter of Dalí's legendary publisher and confidante, Pierre Argille, she visits Jacksonville in February to accompany a museum-quality collection of Dalí's works: original etchings, Aubusson Tapestries and original watercolors made available by the Argillet Estate.
The collection has been exhibited in several major U.S. cities, among them Dallas and Washington, D.C., and is slated to be presented in Chicago, New York and Los Angeles. Exhibited in world-class museums internationally, the collection is not only an important part of Dalí’s artistic legacy, but offers an intimate view of the artist through his close knit relationship with a longterm collaborator, patron and friend.
"This presentation is a tribute to the work of my father, Pierre Argillet, an extraordinary publisher of the Dada and Surrealist group,” says Madame Argillet. “This collection reflects a constant endeavor and a close collaboration with the artists of these two movements, especially Salvador Dalí.”
Avondale Artworks, with co-presenter Richard Roberts, hosts this special exhibition. Located in the Shoppes of Historic Avondale, Avondale Artworks was opened in 2009 by landscape photographer Ken Stutes. This gallery houses one of the region’s largest selections of art and regularly features artwork by local and regional artists of merit.
Roberts brings distinctive fine art experience to the event. He formally owned Jacksonville's venerable and well-respected R. Roberts Gallery, which developed a solid reputation of quality service and artistic integrity representing local, regional, national and international artists for 14 years.
While Avondale Artworks periodically exhibits works by national, international, and celebrity artists, it is indeed rare to get such a multifaceted glimpse of an art icon as in this exhibition. Highlighting the event are two scheduled evening appearances at the gallery by Madame Argillet, which are open to the public. Her personal interpretations will add unique nuance to the often cerebral work of Dalí.
Perhaps best known for his seminal Surrealistic piece, The Persistence of Memory (1931)— a painting depicting soft, melting pocket watches that symbolically reject the assumption that time is rigid or deterministic, and purportedly inspired by a runny piece of Camembert cheese on a hot day— Dalí’s place in art history is large. Born in 1904 in Figueres, Spain, Salvador Felipe Jacinto Dalí I Domenech came to be the most recognizable member of the Surrealist group and one of the most brilliantly provocative artists of the twentieth century.
Considered to be both a cultural movement and artistic style, Surrealism uses visual imagery from the subconscious mind to create art without the intention of logical comprehensibility. The movement was begun primarily in Europe, centered in Paris, and was influenced by the psychoanalytical work of Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung, particularly in regard to their focus on the subconscious through dreams.
Dalí was fascinated with natural science, mathematics and religion, and his varied work fit the ideals of Surrealism and subsequently influenced many mediums—films, painting, fashion, print-making, advertising, writing, pop music—and helped steer the course of modern art. 1960s’ Pop Art icon Andy Warhol said, “It’s the perfect Old Testament and New Testament story. Warhol picked up right where Dalí left off–no Dalí, no Warhol.”
The Argillet Collection represents Dalí’s varied approaches and subjects, using both traditional and innovative art media. Beyond the aesthetics, or perhaps beneath the aesthetics, is the personal relationship that guided these works.
"My father began as a journalist with a true passion for Surrealism. His relationship with the artists was sincere...and passionate. They had together long discussions on the art in process and on literary topics that the artist would illustrate. This special relationship created this very unique collection,” says Madame Argillet.
Madame Argillet spent many summers with Dalí from age 16, and grew to know Dalí the person as well as the artist. Her father’s collaboration with, and assimilation of, Dalí’s work became a fixture in her life. With a body of such provocative, even bizarre, artwork, it is interesting to hear where inspiration was culled and learn particulars of the artist’s study and work habits. “Salvador Dalí was, in private, a very shy man...simple in his daily life, and a true workaholic. He was always experimenting with new techniques, considering things with another angle of perception. He would listen as well to peasant people as to scientists and persons of fame and fortune. His openness has always struck me!" shares Madame Argillet.
Aficionados of Dalí’s work will be excited to know this exhibition and collection opportunity offers works from Dalí's acclaimed Suites, including Mythologie, Les Hippies, Goethe's Faust, and the incomparable Poemes Secrets d'Apollinaire. Madame Argillet has also included the rare titles, Etchings and Watercolors from 1934 to the late 1960s, as well as the magnificent Aubusson Tapestries created in 1973, simultaneously with the opening of The Dalí Museum (Teatro Museo) in Figueres, Spain (1974) and Pierre Argillet's Museum in Melun, France (1973). Housed in this collection is Femmes dans les Vagues, 1972, a hand-woven Aubusson that leaves one breathless.
For those less familiar with Dalí, let the remarks of internationally recognized expert Bernard Ewell, of the American Society of Appraisers (ASA), inspire:
“When you deal with the Christine Argillet Collection, you not only have access to genuine Salvador Dalí artworks, but you also experience the exciting creativity generated when Dalí and Pierre Argillet (print publisher, gallerist and talented photographer) got together on a project. The atmosphere was electric, the energy was high and the results represent Dalí at his best."
Salvador Dalí: The Argillet Collection, will be on exhibition and available for acquisition Jan. 27th–Feb. 4th.
Special Appearances by Madame Christine Argillet,
Fri., Feb. 3rd and Sat., Feb. 4th, from 6-8 p.m.
RSVP: ken@avondaleartworks.com or (904) 384-8797.
Avondale Artworks, 3562 St. Johns Avenue.