At first, surrealism and
popular culture would appear to be oil and water, but in my opinion, the two
would be a dynamite combination for art. Surrealism mines dreams and the
unconscious, while on the other hand; popular culture is concerned with surface
and commonplaces. With the advancement and accessibility to modern technology,
the two have been brought together to prove that high and low can be related.
The
magical world of Disney has been the ultimate form of escapism for our
generation, likewise for those before and after us for years to come. It has
become embedded within our culture, from film to literature to art. Yet what
has been kept a slight secret is that surrealism and Disney has become an item
for our entertainment.
‘Destino’, is a
collaborated short film created by Salvador Dali, a Spanish surrealist painter
and Walt Disney, an American animator in 1946 and released in 2003. The film
combines classic animation techniques with an added touch of magical
surrealism. It tells the story of Chronos, the personification of time and the
inability to realise his desire to love. The scenes of the film blend a series
of surreal paintings by Dali while using a new animation technique that is
equivalent to the ‘paranoid critique’ of Dali – the method inspired by the work
of Sigmund Freud on the subconscious and the inclusion of hidden and double
images.
Salvador Dali describes
the film has ‘a magical display of the problem of life in the labyrinth of
time’ whereas Walt Disney has said it was ‘a simple story about a young girl in
search of true love.’ A contrast of ideas about the film by the two creators
signify the highlighted differences of surrealism and popular culture, but
together make a great work of art.
- Written by Elizabeth Phan
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