Salvador Dali is one of my very favorite artists and his "Mae West (Face of Mae West Which Can Be Used as an Apartment)"(1934) is one of my favorite pieces of art by the Surrealist genius. The red lips on this installation are called "The Mae West Sofa Lips". Wikipedia says, (The Mae West Sofa Lips)is a surrealist sofa by Salvador Dalí. The wood-and-satin sofa was shaped after the lips of actress Mae West, whom Dalí apparently found fascinating.[1] It measures 86.5 x 183 x 81.5 cm. Edward James, a rich British patron of the Surrealists in the 1930's, commissioned this piece from Dali."
Mae West(1893-1980) was an American actress known for her daring and controversial portrayals on the big screen as well as vaudeville and on stage. She was also quite the sex symbol during her hay days.
What you have below is a short but fascinating presentation of the collage showcased above of "Mae West (Face of Mae West Which Can Be Used as an Apartment)" in a 3D video. In the vid, we can appreciate Mae West's face as the collage of furniture, paintings etc that it really is. Mae's eyes are pictures hung on the wall, her hair are curtains, and her mouth is the sofa I mentioned above. The second short video showcases "The Mae West Room" sculptural installation which was inspired by the collage. This installation dates back to 1974 and the same can be found in the Dali Museum in Figueres, Spain. The Mae West collage is presently at The Art Institute of Chicago
"The Mae West Room"
