BWW Previews: DALI THE GOLDEN YEARS at the National Arts Club in NYC

The National Arts Club presents a rare collection of work from Spanish surrealist, Salvador Dali. The month-long free exhibition, entitled Dali: The Golden Years, will celebrate its opening with a reception on Wednesday February 4th between 6pm - 8pm to which the general public is invited.

The exhibition will show 65 pieces in total, including early works that have never been shown before on loan from private collectors. Early drawings and prints make up three full collections including; 'The Les Chants Maldoror' (1934), '12 Tribes of Israel' (1971), and 'Memories of Surrealism' (1973). Each marks a major graphic series in Dali's career, while four never-before-seen pieces and an iconic photo of the artist himself by Anton Perich provide invaluable insight into Dali's creative process.

Early drawings and prints from the 1920's and 1930's have been drawn from the private collections of Dali's friends, including NY art dealer, Walter F. Maibaum and art publisher and dealer, Lawrence Saphire. Of special note is a double-sided proof impression of Dali's first etchings: "Head of a Young Girl" and on the verso, "Portrait of Dali's Father" dated from 1924. Two important preliminary drawings for "Corpus Hypercubus" (1953) will also be included.

Dianne Bernhard,Director of Office of Fine Arts, said: "Surrealism was an intellectual and artistic movement that was grounded in the psyche of man. Dali expressed what the unconscious mind was thinking in order to simultaneously liberate and expand culture. The works in this exhibit are a product of that thought process, free of restraints. To have these four pieces that have not been shown anywhere before, is a big honor for The National Arts Club."

In 1930 Dali was invited to illustrate Les Chants de Maldoror, an 1869 text rediscovered by the Surrealists in the 1930s that told a tale of an evil protagonist. Dali worked in a method he called "paranoiac-critical" and used a stream-of-consciousness process to access hallucinations and delusions and these personal visions then became the subjects of his illustrations.

The complete 13-print collection of 12 Tribes of Israel, from one of the original 250 sets, will be displayed in full. Commissioned by Israel to celebrate their 25th anniversary, they continue to hang in the Israeli Presidential palace this day. Through this collection Dali immortalized the Israeli civilization at its roots, and gave concrete expression to the existence and development of its mystical characters.

Commissioned in 1971 by Dr. Alex Rosenberg, Governor at The National Arts Club, Memories of Surrealism consists of 12 hand-signed prints on paper. This suite is the quintessential example of Dalian symbolism and surrealism. Included in these works are crutches, clocks, butterflies, Gala and Dali himself, of which all are important symbols that describe Dali's artistic progress.

At a young age, Dali learned to appreciate the technical aspects of printmaking and its creative potential. No consideration of his legacy is complete without taking into account the work he produced as a graphic artist. His bold experimentation with printmaking techniques allowed him to explore his landscape of imagination and dreams.This unique show allows us to revisit and confirm the importance of this twentieth century giant and to celebrate the shocking and compelling quality of his imagination.

The exhibition will include critical commentaries by both Maibaum and Saphire.The National Arts Club takes pride in presenting iconic artists and their works to a wide audience, fulfilling its mission to educate, engage, and enrich its circle of creative-minded individuals. This exhibition will mark the second installment of the Fine Arts Winter 2015 program, and will provide a stunning compliment to prior significant exhibitions, from 2014's record breaking 'Charles James: Beneath the Dress,' to Rembrandt, Picasso, Munch, Romare Bearden, Goya and the world renowned husband/wife team of Ilya and Emilia Kabakov.

The Club's February Salon will celebrate the remarkable works of Salvador Dali and explore the history and techniques of printmaking. The special guest will be Dr. Alex Rosenberg who not only published some of Dali's most significant prints but maintained a personal relationship with the artist as well. Dr. Rosenberg will share his professional experiences working first hand with Dali and give us insight into the complex personality and behavior of the man who was his friend. Joining Dr. Rosenberg will be a panel of printmaking experts who will share their expertise in the history of printmaking and the multi-faceted techniques involved in creating a graphic work.

The National Arts Club, 15 Gramercy Park South, NY, NY, 10003. They are open 11:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Sunday. Dali: The Golden Years will be on view from February 2nd through February 28th 2015. Call (212) 475-3424 or visit their web site at www.nationalartsclub.org. The exhibition is free to the public. There will be a Sunday Salon on February 8th 2015 at 2:30 pm.

Image courtesy of The National Arts Club.