Behind Dalì Atomicus: Irene Halsman recounts the 26 attempts
A video produced by Time magazine features Irene Halsman, daughter of photographer Philippe Halsman, recounting the creative partnership between her father and Salvador Dalì that spanned over thirty years. The focus is on the iconic photograph Dalì Atomicus, taken in 1948 after 26 attempts, which captures the surrealist spirit of the Spanish painter by defying gravity. Irene describes the intricate process behind the shot, including the need to retrieve and dry the cats after each failed try. The article, written by Valentina Tanni, highlights the extraordinary originality of the photographic corpus produced by Halsman and Dalì.
Key facts
- Philippe Halsman and Salvador Dalì collaborated for over thirty years.
- Their most famous photograph is Dalì Atomicus, taken in 1948.
- The photograph required 26 attempts to achieve the final image.
- Irene Halsman, daughter of Philippe Halsman, recounts the story in a Time magazine video.
- The photograph captures Dalì's surrealist and 'crazy' spirit.
- After each attempt, Irene had to retrieve and dry the cats used in the shot.
- The article is written by Valentina Tanni, an art historian and curator.
- Valentina Tanni teaches Digital Art at Politecnico di Milano and Digital Cultures at NABA.
Entities
Artists
- Salvador Dalì
- Philippe Halsman
- Irene Halsman
- Valentina Tanni
Institutions
- Time magazine
- Artribune
- Politecnico di Milano
- NABA