Talking with Satchel Paige, Lillian Gish, and Salvador Dali. And I was wondering, Mr. Dali, you’ve done some very mysterious things, and I don’t know if if you like to be asked what they mean, but there was an incident once where you appeared for a lecture in Paris at the Sorbonne, and you arrived in a Rolls-Royce filled with cauliflowers.
>> Yes, because >> Cauliflower, I believe. >> Cauli- cauliflower is represented exactly the same morphological problem of one horn of rhinoceros. Can you look careful on cauliflower? There’s plenty of the the same pattern of sunflower. And you know Leonardo da Vinci? >> The cauliflower is the same pattern as the sunflower.
>> exactly the same pattern is a crossing logarithmic aspirals. And Leonardo da Vinci discovered for the first time >> Mhm. >> this mathematical phenomenon in the sunflower. And later one Dali discovered thousand times much more powerful mathematical problem in the cauliflower. And this is the reason I arrived in the Sorbonne because my my speech is around the cauliflower and the horn of rhinoceros.
Because it’s the same problem. >> Mhm. Same rhinoceros that you mentioned earlier. >> Rhinoceros mathematical >> Mhm. >> uh pattern. Exactly the same. >> Do I Am I alone in finding you somewhat difficult to follow uh in terms of what uh your theories are? Uh do people often misunderstand you or find you hard to >> No, but this is >> I find it interesting, but it’s >> Because myself uh working my surrealism for 14 years, and and today no understand nothing of my work.
>> No one understands your work today? >> Uh no. A lot of critics is legitimate a lot of people also don’t understand. Because if I don’t understand, what they understand less can mean. >> Is it Is it my imagination or are you speaking a mixture of languages? >> No, no, no, no, all time is the same. >> But didn’t you say a word or two of Spanish or what did you >> English by with injection of Catalan Catalonia accent.
>> Cat- Catalonia? >> Catalonian. >> Catalonian accent. >> Costa Brava >> Yes. >> accent. >> Yes, that clears that up, too. Skechers question. >> I hope it’s not an impudent one, Monsieur Dali, but have you, from the beginning of your work, your great craftsmanship in painting, a message to give to the people that we perhaps don’t understand? >> No message.
>> No message. Could you invent one? >> Impossible. I am against any kind of message. >> You are. Again. Your paintings have a very dreamlike quality and I I do find them fascinating. I’d like to look at the >> dream because is never dream, is hypnagogical image. >> Hypnagogical image. >> Exactly. Before >> What is that? >> is 10 minutes before you sleep.
The 10 minutes or 15 minutes before you fall sleeping >> Uh-huh. >> appear in some genius the same category some kind of very vivid irrational and literally petition images. I myself catch this image >> Mhm. >> and then with the more careful photographic uh style. And no message and no explanation. Sometimes after 20 years, some scientific people tell this perhaps means this or this, but >> Mhm.
>> every day of this Dalinian image remain in one complete mystery. >> WHO DO YOU BOOGIE I JUST WANTED TO DO THAT. I DON’T KNOW WHY. I don’t know why. I don’t know what came over me. I’m sorry. I I I don’t I I I don’t know what you you affect me in a peculiar way and >> Well, but you know Dali Dali is one tremendous power for creating a sensation everybody.
>> I don’t think anyone will argue with that. But could we look Mr. Dali at your graphics now that are going to be on on display to that cuz they are quite remarkable as you know if you’ve seen his work. Would There can you see that one? >> Uh yes yes yes this is one rose. >> That’s a surrealistic flower girl according to you.
Gertrude Stein Gertrude Stein stopped earlier but yes and yeah. That’s a surrealistic flower girl. >> They are Dalinian flower because in Paris some crazy people create one one Dalinian rose and this is >> Mhm. >> this one. It’s the last unique creation in flowers in Paris. >> Next. This Dali seems to be truthful people.
There and that is the >> Very good. Very good. >> surrealistic king. You know almost every Oh, go ahead. >> No no no no no move because this is very important. You know Dali is tremendous monarchic. >> And he is a uh uh >> a Catholic and monarchic and very soon uh Spain becoming one kingdom. After Generalissimo Franco is already agreed the prince Juan Carlos becoming the king of Spain.
And this is no message but this is the vision of Spain in the moment of becoming one kingdom. >> Spain becoming one kingdom. I have surrealist times the next title. And uh I’ve noticed that there’s a two out of five of your pictures have have butterfly in them. And uh what are What are butterflies >> of time because this appear one night at 11:00 look through the window and appear one tremendous gigantic eye with the the hours, you know, 3:00, 4:00 and I copy this.
>> Yeah. What was the name of the film in which a razor was drawn across an eye? >> I guess you This probably is one personal question between time and Dali because in my uh between time and Dali because in my first Les Chiennes Andalou movie >> Yes. >> I start the movie cutting the eye of one beautiful girl. You remember cut >> Yes, and I knew when I saw that I’d never forget it.
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A razor blade is drawn across an eyeball and it’s very uh uh Is there anything people have failed to understand about the meaning of that? >> Uh probably is I am not like it blind people, you know. >> Mhm. Subconsciously. >> Exactly. This is Dali is Dali >> Is that a >> presented in one surrealist manner with bosoms because one girl because Dali is very young Dali love becoming one girl.
And like it bosoms and not like it with my masculine sex and make one sex of girl for the same price. >> No, I don’t understand that. It was a self-portrait of you with with with female breasts. >> Exactly. No, this no, this is the the the >> soft watch enveloping the same Camembert cheese. Because Dali like it food Camembert and like it for the same time food watches.
>> What is a typical What is a typical lunch for you? >> The best in Paris is start with ortolans, you know. Little little birds possible swallow everything. And second fresh the water for finish. I start by the previous. All animals with faces. No like it the steak because there is no faces in one steak. >> You won’t eat a steak because >> has no face.
Like it food something with nose, ears and complete. No it’s your food and animals animals. Like it little birds, grow fish, everything possess mustaches, ears and the complete complete. >> Quite so. Mr. Dali has a cane here that belonged to Sarah Bernhardt and we guess you’re saying of course you knew Sarah Bernhardt. >> And you knew Sarah Bernhardt.
You know you tell >> I played with her as a child, that’s all. >> Yeah. >> But how beautiful and what a good weapon. >> No no but in the same time you know Sarah Bernhardt is limping. >> Yes. >> And it’s very efficient for walk. And probably the design is Garnier. The same man make the ornamentation of the opera in Paris. We are in here.
>> Beautiful. >> Sorry to rush but we have only a couple of moments left and I I do admire you and and your work and I would like to know if you would give me an autograph. Would you No no I I had something larger in mind. Something like maybe this size. And uh I have never asked a guest for an autograph on the air before but I thought it might be interesting to see if you do it in the ordinary way.
YOU’RE SORRY ABOUT BOUJEE. YOU SEEM TO BE DRAWING A CROWN. Is that a crown? Uh-huh. And Drops of milk on the crown? Do I suggest milk to you? Uh-huh. And this is your Have you ever heard anyone giving them an autograph? Oh, oh, the date, 1971. That says Dali. And there’s the crown and and Uh-huh. Hasn’t lost his form.
Would you pitch me an autograph, Mr. Page? Thank you very much for being here, and you too. We have a message. We’ll be right back after that. We’ve got another one.
