This paper looks briefly at the background of the Spanish painter Salvador Dali and the Australian painter Brett Whiteley,
two extraordinary artists from the
surrealist movement. It details their
artistic influences, views on life and makes an attempt at finding method in their madness. It discusses how it was an 'insatiable craving for sex', money and fame that drove Dali to artistic genius, while for Whiteley, it was alcohol and narcotics. It compares and contrasts some of their famous works, their styles and their perceived meanings.