Dali, 1936

Surrealists seemed to dig this red crustacean. It’s one of those natural objects that look like a dream. Especially creepy when they are alive and brown with their antennae poking about your living room as you urge them to race.

Yes, tonight is the night of the great lobster race. We’re upping the ante tonight, as my boyfriend and I will be having company for dinner. So instead of just two lobsters, we’ll have six lobsters. You line them up and then urge them to move forward. It sounds slightly more exciting than it is, given that these are not fast land animals. In an ideal world, the winner of the race would avoid the pot and become a cherished household pet. However, life is short and brutish. All the lobsters are going in the pot tonight. [Insert evil grin]

As much as I enjoy these events, live lobsters creep me out Annie Hall style. So what I’m wondering is–did Dali use a real deccissitated lobster for his ridiculous, iconic telephone? I’m going to assume it is plastic for my own sanity.