Many college students don’t have the time necessary to appreciate an art museum. Others might not want to waste their time browsing through paintings that might not make sense. The Salvador Dali museum is usually the center of Surrealism (A movement started by Salvador Dali himself which is characterized by strange figures, deep hidden meanings and mostly inspired by dreams and all things unrealistic). But recently it has expanded its merchandise to a festivity of Pop Art which follows trends and mass culture Abstract Expressionism, a color field in which artists utilize broad expanses of color and a small portion of Neo-Dada. Mostly sculptures that appear to be falling down, Neo-Dada takes something that has already been done and displays it. Featuring major influential artists such as Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Claus Oldenburg, Mark Rothko, Jackson Pollock and Willem De Kooning, this museum takes your breath away. Dali is not alone in this sea of originality and color. The museum is mostly dedicated to Dali where we could see photos of himself, his wife and many posters featuring some of his paintings.

The influence of Abstract Expressionism and Neo-Dada are evident in some of Dali’s paintings. A very interesting characteristic of Dali’s paintings is the amount of Op Art, paintings that mess with your mind because they appear to have movement. Usually, in order to fully appreciate a Dali painting you need to spend a considerable amount of time looking at it and analyzing it. Dali’s paintings are much more meaningful than just beautiful colors and interesting human forms. There’s always a deeper meaning behind his art, and in order to understand it, it is best if you step away from the art so the actual meaning can be seen. It definitely toys with your mind.

There were also images by Roy Lichtenstein, the man who brought Benday Dots to life. These are minuscule dots that come out during the printing process, mostly in comic books. But due to their size they’re not visible until they’re enlarged. They seem small on paper, but when standing next to them, a single dot is the size of your pinky. There were also a few images by Andy Warhol who is one of the most influential and controversial Pop Artists of all times. He is the man behind the famous painting of Marilyn Monroe “Marilyn Diptych” (1962). There were other artists less known than the ones mentioned above but equally talented. Some of them were: Chuck Close, also an Abstract Expressionist who paints from real life portraits, and James Rosenquist, a pop artist who mostly painted billboards.

Regardless of whether you are an art major or not, this museum can be fully appreciated only if you walk in there with an open mind. Art is not a science. Art is not a tangible object. Art is everything. Art is everywhere you go, depending on how you look at things. Students are welcome in this museum, and with a discount student tickets are available for $9. Do not miss the chance to appreciate famed artist Salvador Dali.