Inspiring Vision: The Disintegration of the Persistence of Memory

"It's easier to disintegrate an atom than a prejudice." – Albert Einstein

The artwork of Salvador Dali is not everybody's cup of tea. He was heavily influenced by psychoanalysis pioneers like Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung. That being said, Dali's work has to be looked at from so many levels, and hidden themes can be discovered everywhere you look. Whether you are a fan or not, you most likely have seen one of his most famous paintings, The Persistence of Memory (on display at the MOMA in New York City). In 1954 he re-interpreted the painting to create a landscape representing the breakdown of matter into atoms called, The Disintegration of the Persistence of Memory. The painting was a statement that resonated with the dialogue of the time around quantum mechanics and nuclear physics. As you look at the bricks receding into the distance, they transform into atomic missiles, symbolizing humanity bringing about its own destruction.

Art can really challenge our thinking, and it does not always tell a pretty picture, but sometimes we have to boldly make a statement in whatever medium we choose, to create the future we truly want.