Philippe Halsman in collaboration with Salvador Dalì produced this photographic work; it is said that nearly 30 attempts were needed to capture the image for the desired arrangement.
Halsman and Dalì were creative collaborators for over three decades. Together they produced images that pushed the boundaries of the technology of the day as well as creative thinking.
The title name Dalì Atomicus relates to the idea of matter or objects being made of atoms, disconnected, not solid and that objects are under the influence of gravity. At this time the theory of quantum mechanics was evolving, a science that does not fit into a simple logical explanation. Perhaps this theory appealed to Halsman and Dalì from a surrealist perspective where they tried to challenge logic and control with outrageous, provocative images to ignite conversations based on creative thought.
This image is one of 28 photographic prints that make up this suite. There was no digital manipulation like today in 1948 when the images were taken. You can see in this image that there is a hand holding the leg of the chair and eyelets on the base of the easel where wires were attached to suspend it in space to create the illusion of levitation. In some of the images in the suite the person holding the chair is cropped out, the third leg on the stool is not visible and there is a painting on the middle easel. Imagine the time and patience it required to produce these images. What other questions does it provoke, what do you think about throwing cats?
Of the welfare of the cats used in the photograph, Halsman has been quoted as saying “the cats were well cared for, between shots he towel-dried them and fed them Portuguese sardines”.
Philippe Halsman (1906 – 1979) was a renowned photo-portraitist, gaining his popularity in France. Some of his sitters included Salvador Dalí, Marc Chagall, Pablo Picasso, Albert Einstein, Marilyn Monroe, and Audrey Hepburn. His collaboration with Dalí spanned 37 years, producing numerous surrealist style photographs and a book titled Dalí’s Moustache.
Dalí Atomicus was made with Dalí in 1948 in reference to Dalí’s artwork titled Leda Atomica of the same era. The photograph, along with the artwork, explore the theme of suspension with objects appearing in mid-air.
The original painting of Leda Atomica is housed at The Dalí Theatre-Museum in Figueres, Spain. Featuring a nude image of Dalí’s wife Gala, the artwork also depicts suspended books, an egg, and a set square. The painting appears in the background of the photograph Dalí Atomicus on the right side, along with suspended furniture, flying cats, and thrown water.