MAE WEST LIPS SOFA

The Mae West Lips Sofa reverses Dalí’s usual paranoiac-critical method of attempting to see images within objects. Dalí began his point of reference with an actual image, the Mae West’s sensual lips, and created a functional object. The actress Mae West was renowned more for her voluptuous figure and her risqué one-liners than for her acting skills, and Dalí, with his great skill for publicity and maintaining his place in the public eye, paid homage to her with this inspired and original sofa. The first sofa was constructed in Paris in 1936, under Dalí’s supervision, based on his original sketch. The upholstery fabric was in Elsa Schiapparelli’s “shocking pink”. Such is the popularity of this piece of furniture, that it has become instantly recognisable.

TECHNICAL INFORMATION

Date: conceived in 1936, created in textiles and wood in 1974
Material: textiles and wood
Edition size : 8 plus 4EA
Height : 85 cm
Direct intervention (created by Dalí): the idea, image and original maquette
Indirect intervention (created by artisans): the reconstruction