Step 1
Individuals are influenced by their surroundings; geography, where people come from, where they have traveled, and where they live now all impact their cultural viewpoints. Artifacts, such as music or art, frequently reflect the cultural values of the people who create them (SEI Studios, 2020). People perceive the world via their cultural lens; our cultural lens informs our viewpoint on how the world works, and it shapes what we perceive when we look at others and observe their behaviors (SEI Studios, 2020). Essentially, we may feel more at ease among persons whose behaviors appear odd or weird to us when we learn more about their customs, traditions, perceptions, and culture.
The artifact selected for the assessment is the famous painting by Salvador Sali from 1931. I decided to show The Persistence of Memory to my friend, who loves art and traveled to Spain numerous times. During our discussion, he stated that melting clocks symbolized the art of Salvador Dali; moreover, they reflect the omnipresence of time and its dominance over humans. Undoubtedly, culture and artistic expressions significantly influence human thought and behavior. When I saw the artifact for the first time, I had been thinking about its meaning for a long time because it impressed me. Salvador Dali wanted to show the transience and relativity of temporary space. When I shared my ideas with my friend, he stated that perhaps the melting clock symbol was influenced by Spanish culture; the country is seen as a time-fluid society that prioritizes personal ties over deadlines.
Notably, the artifact can influence people’s thinking and behavior in the future because it shows that time is ‘melting’ and people should focus on what truly matters to them in order not to lose precious hours, minutes, and seconds. According to MoMA (n.d.), Dali’s limp timepieces are as soft as melting cheese; the painting demonstrates that time is rendered meaningless. Permanence goes with it: ants, a recurring topic in Dal’s work, signify degradation, especially when they assault a gold watch and appear monstrously organic (MoMA, n.d.). The huge fleshy figure stretched over the painting’s center is foreign and recognizable; it is a profile of Dal’s face. Essentially, the painting could be interpreted differently, depending on the viewer’s cultural lens.
Step 2
The artifacts around the globe reflect both collaborative and individual efforts. Murić et al. (2019) emphasize that personal productivity is increased by cooperation; people prefer to do more when they collaborate with more people. For instance, the selected artifact was also influenced by Salvador Dali’s efforts and ideas and by the Surrealist Movement. Richman-Abdou (2019) states that The Persistence of Memory was completed during the peak of the Surrealist Movement. During this period, forward-thinking artists used their work to investigate themes of automatism and self-consciousness (Richman-Abdou, 2019). This exploratory approach to painting resulted in a preference for unusual subject matter that awakens dreams and confronts preconceptions. Dotson (2020) suggests that on another trip to Paris in 1929, Salvador Dali met André Breton and began working with the French Surrealists. Throughout the 1930s, Dali painted some of his most recognizable paintings while also working on screenwriting and film projects with other group members (Dotson, 2020). Additionally, Dali created The Persistence of Memory while he was only 28 years old; he was formally connected with the Surrealists at this point.
Hence, the artist established his paranoiac-critical way of making artwork due to the collaboration and influence between him and other Surrealists. Nonetheless, Dali put his interpretation and creation to craft the final artifact by self-inducing a hypnotic state, allowing him to break free from reality (Dotson, 2020). Thus, he claimed that once he was free, the visions and ideas for his paintings would appear. The cultural and personal experiences can be detected in the amorphous flesh-colored shape identified as a self-portrait of the artist in profile. Significantly, Dotson (2020) acknowledges that although the painting appears to be set in an imagined realm, the rocks in the background have been recognized as the coast of Catalonia, Dal’s hometown. The rocks and the self-portrait are brilliant examples of Dali’s cultural and personal experiences.
Step 3
The creative process uses problem-solving, relationship-building, and self-and social-awareness skills. Finding common ground is one of the tactics for productive teamwork. According to the ‘Activity: Collaborative Process of Creating and Interpreting Cultural Artifacts,’ it was advised that even if an individual disagrees with a group member on a specific issue, highlighting areas of agreement might be beneficial. At this early stage, no notion is obscure or impracticable. People should explore free association or fling forth ideas fast without caring about whether they would appear ridiculous to everyone else, at least at first. Beginning with a supply of ideas generated in an accessible, unplanned manner might be a terrific approach to starting projects going.
Salvador Dali was a part of the Surrealist Movement; he constantly interacted with other artists. Dotson (2020) suggests that surrealists experimented with many strategies to gain access to the hidden knowledge that lurked under the surface of their awareness. Nonetheless, many chose automatism, a style of creating art that encouraged chance and aimed to erase consciousness. For instance, Dali used problem-solving and relationship-building skills when working with André Breton and became a prominent figure in the Surrealist Movement (Dotson, 2020). The Persistence of Memory is an iconic work not only because of Dali’s genuine talent but also because of his ability to learn about surrealism, gain and share ideas with artists, and apply self- and social-awareness skills.
Additionally, I can use the artist’s process and methods of problem-solving and relationship-building to support my endeavors. For instance, I agree that effective collaboration and communication lead to success. It is crucial to establish the first common ground; Salvador Dali became a part of the Surrealist Movement to enhance cooperation with other artists. Developing a project or artifact or working in a team requires empathy, support, and an open, non-judgmental atmosphere where all participants are ready to share their ideas and accept those of others.
Step 4
The interpretive process is collaborative; our discussion with my friend supports the observation. For instance, my friend informed me that people’s perceptions of time and punctuality differ from those in the United States. Meetings in Spain typically begin and end late, and deadlines are routinely missed. I was surprised by my friend’s point of view, but I realized that it was influenced by his traveling experience and extensive knowledge of Spain. I claim that working with others who have different cultural viewpoints can also help solve problems better. Based on SEI Studios (2020), researchers discovered that teams with more socially diverse individuals solved tasks more effectively than teams from a single social group. Thus, the diversity of my friend’s viewpoint combined with my ideas resulted in an exciting discussion, new knowledge, and suggestions regarding the artifact’s meaning. His opinion influenced my interpretation of the artifact, and I agreed that the ‘melting clock’ could be interpreted as ‘time fluidity.’ I enjoyed the conversation because I learned more about Spanish culture, and my friend pointed out the melting clock idea that I did not notice before. During the conversation, I connected with my friend and found that we have some shared experiences; we both appreciate the art of Salvador Dali. Moreover, I learned new about my friend and his cultural perception of the artifact based on his traveling experience.
References
Dotson, S. (2020). Understanding “The Persistence of Memory,” Salvador Dalí’s surrealist masterpiece. Artsy. Web.
MoMA (n.d.). Salvador Dali ‘The Persistence of Memory’ 1931. Web.
Murić, G., Abeliuk, A., Lerman, K., & Ferrara, E. (2019). Collaboration drives individual productivity. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, 3(CSCW), 1-24. Web.
Richman-Abdou, K. (2019). Exploring Salvador Dalí’s strange and surreal ‘Persistence of Memory. My Modest Met. Web.
SEI Studios. (2020). Exploring Cultures: Adapting in a global world. Soomo Learning.