Salvador Dali

Here be the twentith century's greatest trickster. The sheer exuberence of creation. He was the first surrealist I ever knew of. Fearless, he knew (maybe too well) the extreme confidence that it takes to set the world on its ear. It was inevitable that he would ultimately become more important than the paintings. But, I think that is because he became his own ultimate work of art.

Dali has both positive and negative lessons to teach us. His fearlessness towards the art, a pro. The unbridled fearlessness towards his ego...maybe not so much. Still every time I see this trickster, he never fails to elicit a grin. Dali shows us how to be truly free as artists. And that freedom is exhilarating.