Tornade 1966

Salvador Dalí made this watercolor called Tornade with paper and brush. It looks like he laid the paper down flat and let the washes of color pool and mix. I love the way that watercolor can surprise you. The eye is drawn to the tornado, but the thing I keep coming back to is the head at the top. I can see the whole painting contained within the head: the blue washes, the swirling vortex, and the delicate lines of the buildings. It’s like the whole scene is a thought, an idea taking shape in the mind’s eye. The layering of watercolor gives the image a sense of depth, as if you could dive right into Dalí’s subconscious. There's something here that reminds me of the way Leonora Carrington used surreal landscapes to explore inner worlds. I always feel like art is about finding new ways to see, think, and feel.