The Face of War

Dali has always been a huge inspiration to me, because his works are conceptually and visually complex. I am drawn to this piece in particular for the darker concept being conveyed. It reminds me of the "See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil", except it is the exact opposite. The mysteriousness behind this piece is fascinating. It also reminds me of being in a bad dream and waking up from it and still having it pounded into your head and being frightened from it. I love this piece because it is one of Dali's less complex pieces, and the piece is conceptually easier to understand. I love how Dali used a variation of the same hue to create a darker feel to the piece (there is a hug variation of browns used). I also really like how this piece conveys the concept in a very non-traditional way. In other words, there is not simply a human face with a scared expression. There is an obvious face that is detached from the body, which makes me think of the idea of one's brain being wrapped up in something (a bad dream/omen). The head is placed in the middle of a desert-like environment, which also makes me think of an abyss of nothingness or the mind, because the mind is kind of similar to a blank canvas that we fill with ideas and thoughts, but in this piece there is obviously no control over these thoughts. The distortion of the face is also significant, because it also conveys the idea of fear. The face looks like all of the color has been drained from it, like when you see something and you begin to feel fear and all of the blood drains from your face. This piece is significant, because we all feel fear, whether it is physically/visually or mentally/visually.

Image derived from: Dali, Salvador. The Face of War. 1941. Painting. Salvador DaliWeb. 3 Oct 2013. <http://www.edali.org/the-face-of-war.jsp>.