Dali & I - Stan Lauryssens

But the biggest surprise was still to come. To my amazement, the balding, mustachioed, wrinkled Salvador Dali, weary with age, far outsold superstars Warren Beatty, Raquel Welch, Ursula Andress, Dustin Hoffman, Woody Allen, and even Elizabeth Taylor, the all-time beauty queen.

That's when I got my first lesson in life.

Dali sells.

An interesting combination of deceit, money, and art. The book will make you look at the art world differently. Here we see an insatiable greed for money bring out the worst in people. The author is a proud con man who seems to have little guilt in separating people from their money through elaborate schemes and lies. If one is believe the book, which claims to be accurate, Dali was himself quite a con artist. We see Dali portrayed as someone who cares more about money than the art world which he uses and abuses. The author is a willing participant in dealing fake art.

There are similarities here with the current world financial problems. We see investors seeking unrealistic returns on their money, greedy middlemen, and people at the top, in this case Dali and his handlers, who laugh all the way to the bank. I enjoyed reading this book and gaining insights into the corrupt side of the art world. I found it hard, however, to get beyond the author's detached look and participation.