Surrealists United: The Iconic Collaboration of Chochola and Dali

July 31, 2023 Razvan Chiorean

art, exhibition

Salvador Dali, born in 1904 in Figueres, Catalonia, Spain, belonged to a middle-class family. His father, Salvador Dali I Cusi, worked as a state official, while his mother, Felipa Domènech Forres, had been a maid before marrying his father. Salvador had two siblings, an older brother named Salvador, who died at the age of two, and a younger sister named Anna Maria. Dali believed he was the reincarnation of his deceased brother.

Displaying artistic talent from an early age, Dali was admitted to the Madrid school of fine arts Academia de San Fernando in 1921. During his time there, he became friends with future acquaintances Luis Buñuel and Federico García Lorca. His early works showcased influences of Futurism, metaphysical painting, and Cubism. In 1925, Dali held his first solo exhibition at the Dalmau Gallery in Barcelona. A year later, during a visit to Paris, he encountered Pablo Picasso, who introduced him to the avant-garde artists of the city. Inspired by Diego Velázquez, Dali adopted his distinctive moustache. Unfortunately, he was expelled from the Madrid Academia in the same year.

In 1929, Dali collaborated with Luis Buñuel on the film "Un Chien Andalou" (An Andalusian Dog), which led to his official acceptance into the Surrealist Group. During the same period, he met Gala, who became his lifelong partner and a significant influence on his work. In 1932, Dali participated in the first Surrealist exhibition in the USA, which garnered great success. However, as the Spanish Civil War erupted, his public sympathy for General Franco's politics caused conflict with other Surrealists, leading to his expulsion from the Surrealist Group in 1939.

In 1940, Dali and Gala moved to the USA, where they stayed until 1948. During this time, he published his autobiography, "The Secret Life of Salvador Dali" (1942), and worked in the film industry, creating storyboards for Walt Disney. After returning to Spain, Dali and Gala settled in Catalonia for the remainder of their lives.

In 1982, Dali's beloved Gala passed away. In the same year, he was bestowed with noble status. Ultimately, Salvador Dali died of heart failure in 1989 at his museum in Galatea Town. As per his wishes, he was buried in the museum's crypt, bequeathing all his property and works to the Spanish State in his will.

What is a Lithograph?

A lithograph is a graphic technique used to create multiple copies or reproductions of an artwork. It involves drawing on a porous lithographic limestone with oil-based inks. The stone is then dampened with water, and the ink adheres only to the drawn parts. By pressing the inked stone onto paper, the image is transferred. Each color requires a separate stone and press, and each lithograph is assigned an edition number (e.g., 88/300), indicating its position in the total prints. "E A." denotes the artist's direct print, usually not limited in quantity.

Lithograph technique, reproduction of an artwork often seen in Dali’s creations.

Chochola's Photographic Odyssey: Capturing Dali and the Spirit of Prague

Břetislav Mencák Chochola (1923) was a renowned Prague-based fine art and portrait photographer. He began his photography journey while still in grammar school, with his first shots published in 1940. Chochola's diverse body of work covered sports, dramatic events like the Prague Uprising, documentaries, and portraits of notable Czech and international artists.

His imaginative and experimental photography drew from surrealism, and he captured the essence of the Prague periphery. During his time in Paris in 1969, he portrayed Salvador Dali, and his films gained widespread recognition, with the photograph of Dali with an Egg becoming his most famous work.

Chochola was an avid collector, and his extensive archive is now managed by his descendants, Blanka and Marek, known as "Archiv B&M Chochola," a testament to his artistic legacy and contributions to Prague's cultural life since the 1940s.

Mencák Chochola mirror photograph with Dali in the background, Paris 1969-70

Surreal sculpture of an elephant with exaggerated long legs, showcasing Dalí's masterful craftsmanship and imaginative vision