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Lot Essay
Robert and Nicolas Descharnes have kindly confirmed the authenticity of this work.
As a young student in Connecticut in the late 1960s, Louis Markoya was equally frustrated and uninspired by his local art teachers and was ready to abandon any hopes of developing his talent as an artist. Little did he know that shortly after stumbling across Salvador Dalí's "A Secret Life" in the school library, he would embark upon a five year apprenticeship with the Surrealist master himself, a profound adventure that would resonate with him for the rest of his life.
Knowing that Dalí often stayed at the St. Regis Hotel when visiting New York, Louis attempted to contact him in the winter of 1970. To his surprise, the artist took his telephone call and invited him to the hotel lounge that evening. Seeing Dalí surrounded by visitors and admirers, Louis quickly realized that he had nothing to offer the artist and went home to perfect his craft. Returning to the St. Regis one year later, this time Louis immediately approached the artist with a handful of photographs of his own work. After slowly reviewing each image, Dalí looked up at Louis and pronounced, "we will do some collaborations." This was the beginning of a five year period in which the young apprentice would do everything from research source material for the artist, assist with preparations for the Dalí museum in Figueres, and design unique materials for Dalí to work with, including three dimensional plastics, stereoscopic artworks and holograms.
Fig 1. Louis Markoya with Salvador Dalí at the St. Regis Hotel, New
York.
As a young student in Connecticut in the late 1960s, Louis Markoya was equally frustrated and uninspired by his local art teachers and was ready to abandon any hopes of developing his talent as an artist. Little did he know that shortly after stumbling across Salvador Dalí's "A Secret Life" in the school library, he would embark upon a five year apprenticeship with the Surrealist master himself, a profound adventure that would resonate with him for the rest of his life.
Knowing that Dalí often stayed at the St. Regis Hotel when visiting New York, Louis attempted to contact him in the winter of 1970. To his surprise, the artist took his telephone call and invited him to the hotel lounge that evening. Seeing Dalí surrounded by visitors and admirers, Louis quickly realized that he had nothing to offer the artist and went home to perfect his craft. Returning to the St. Regis one year later, this time Louis immediately approached the artist with a handful of photographs of his own work. After slowly reviewing each image, Dalí looked up at Louis and pronounced, "we will do some collaborations." This was the beginning of a five year period in which the young apprentice would do everything from research source material for the artist, assist with preparations for the Dalí museum in Figueres, and design unique materials for Dalí to work with, including three dimensional plastics, stereoscopic artworks and holograms.
Fig 1. Louis Markoya with Salvador Dalí at the St. Regis Hotel, New
York.