Elements of Design: The Persistence of Memory.

This piece by Salvador Dali displays several key elements of design. Some of its most appealing features beyond simply the imaginative “wiggle” room it offers, is the interesting contrast not just in color but also in ideas. Not only does Dali contrast the pale subhuman form against a dark background, but he also contrasts the clocks against the solid tree and brick. It is known that Dali was very interested in the relationship between hard and soft.
The picture itself also offers a sense of balance. On the left hand side there is a lot to look at, colors, shapes, even actions are the first thing our eye sees. However, the right hand side of the frame is dominated by the heavy color black, and large stone cliffs. In fact, the cliffs are the most detailed part of this painting and thus draws a significant amount of attention.
Dali effectively uses several types of contrast in order to build a strong painting. His use of other aesthetic tools are also very interesting. For example the branch servers as a leading line reinforcing the viewer’s natural tendency to read left to right.
This is commonly accepted as one of Dali’s best works. Although I would not call it the “best”, Dali was truly a master of ascetics and it is abundantly clear in this visually interesting oil painting.