Persistence of the Mangrove
(Homage a Salvador Dalí)

Xavier Cortada, Persistence of the Mangrove (Homage a Salvador Dalí), 24" x 18", acrylic on canvas, 2005 (www.cortada.com)
 

Dali is my friend.  I see him all the time, as he melts on a piece of bark, traverses a rocky plane, explodes from a pomegranate.  I get inspired as I see him as Cristobal, bringing his cultural heritage with him.  Flags unfurl.  Passion swirls as he steps out of the sea and into a new world.

Dali is my friend.  Like him, I have my Gala--his name is JC.  I have my own passions, ruminations and dreams.  And my own Cadaques—mine is made of mangrove roots.  A seascape that allows the imagination to see Spanish explorers and those who follow as mangrove seedlings wading on waves.  Seedlings waiting to set their roots on shallow water, persisting through time as they create new land.

Dali is my friend.  He teaches me.  Intrigues me.  Astonishes me.  Admonishes me:  “Painter paint.”  Grateful, I give him this painting in return.