The Declining Population in Europe and the Decline of the...

In recent years it has become evident that the population of Europe is falling at a rate that could become problematic. This problem is contradictory to the idea of a population explosion promoted by the book â€Å"The Population Bomb by Paul Ehrlich which decries the rapid growth of the earth’s population as problematic for the environment and for quality of life. The decline of fertility points to a view of children that is particularly troubling. Europe simply does not want children despite its desperate need for a growing, productive workforce. Certain social factors have had a strong impact on this problem including migration, birth control, the role of motherhood and the economy. Population decline is indicative of the decline of the†¦show more content†¦Furthering this idea as women see having a career as more desirous than having a family their education level rises and as they seek higher levels of education they continue to delay childbearing. A woman in a less developed region in comparison to Europe firstly, does not have the access to birth control, or see the perceived advantages especially as women’s participation in the work force is low. (Weeks 245-258) It seems that only when two developed countries are compared does gender equality, (i.e. higher female workforce participation) equal a higher fertility rate. Undoubtedly the widespread use of birth control has a strong influence in the decline of Europe, however, birth control itself does not account for it altogether according to several researchers.Eastern Europe uses modern birth control at a lesser rate than that of Western Europe (49% of women aged 15-49 in Eastern Europe use modern methods of birth control versus 69% in Western Europe) yet its rate of natural increase is -0.2 % while Western Europe’s is .1%(PRB 9, 13).As a whole when looking at the trends of fertility in the past century birth control does affect fertility especially as transitioning from high to low fertility but when comparing countries that have already declined those countries with lower birthrates have other factors to consider besides just the effects of birth control. The social value of being able to control the number of children a woman has is the drivingShow MoreRelatedThe Problem Of Population And Growth Essay1261 Words   |  6 PagesPopulatio n and growth is a massive issue in the world today. It has held geographers’ interest for several years. There has been discussion and debate over the max amount of people that the world can sustain. Some geographers believe that the world is already overpopulated, while others believe that we are working toward a serious overpopulation problem in the future. One thing that everyone can agree on is some countries and regions, such as China, are vastly over populated, and other countriesRead MoreThe Global Spatial Pattern Of Aging Populations Essay1282 Words   |  6 PagesThe global spatial pattern of aging populations is a nucleated pattern; there is a cluster of countries with a median age of over 40 in Europe, and two outliers; in Japan and Canada. All of these countries are in the Northern Hemisphere. The countries in Europe with a median age of over 40 are Norway, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia, Hungary, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cro atia, Slovenia, Austria, Italy, Czech Republic, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Denmark, UnitedRead MoreThe Future Of The European Union1451 Words   |  6 Pagesslow economic growth and recession, the Greek debt crisis; the Ukrainian crisis, the ongoing migration and refugee crisis, the upcoming UK referendum and the terrorist threat. How these events will shape the future of the EU in the years to come, how Europe will look in the next decade and how they will exit the current crisis are the biggest questions that the Brussels, its institutions, leaders and its citizens are currently confronting. Under these circumstances, it is very difficult to propose aRead MoreThe Five Pillars Of The Muslim Faith934 Words   |  4 Pagesdetermine family size. 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Obtaining a higher education could lead young women to remain unmarried in their twenties. Increasing possibilities to achieve a higher education and therefore working in an appealing job has become increasingly attractive to young women. This change in values also contributed to the increase in unmarried singles in their twenties. However, it is also possible that the influence of oneà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s family background is theRead MoreRelationship Between Fertility Rates and Education Background in Women: Quantitative Analysis1540 Words   |  7 Pagesreasons for this decline is said to be the postponement of marriage among young people. Obtaining a higher education could lead young women to re main unmarried in their twenties. Increasing possibilities to achieve a higher education and therefore working in an appealing job has become increasingly attractive to young women. This change in values also contributed to the increase in unmarried singles in their twenties. 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Food Inc Eating Organically Essay - 1296 Words

I will be writing in my book report on Food Inc about how the food industry is not really telling us what is in our food and how we don’t know much about the food we buy and eat. I was in shock because I try to avoid eating junk food or fast food, and after reading the book I realize I could still be eating junk food, if I don’t learn more about what I am buying. I will be writing about how the food industry can get away with murder and not have to pay for it. Also on how the government is not regulating them as they should. How information is being with help from us, and how we are kept in the dark, for their benefit. How our farmers are treated and how the use of high levels of pesticides to which they are exposed to and their families†¦show more content†¦So pretty much the government allows them to regulate themselves, and the ones who pay the price is us with our health. We also see how some people feel it’s cheaper to go to McDonalds or any fast food place and buy something from the dollar menu, then going to a super market and buying organic or even just healthier food, vegetables. But isn’t it better to spend a little more on good food now then spending more money later when we are being treated for Diabetes or Heart Disease. I was disgusted on food safety of factory farms, how crowded tens of thousands of animals are crowed together in tight conditions and they don’t get to do what they were meant to do. For example the chickens like to carry out normal behaviors such as grazing, rooting, and pecking. So since the chickens are in such tight conditions they peck on each other and hurt or kill each other, so some farmers have decided to just remove there peaks which is a painful procedure they have to live with. It is cruel and not fair to the animal. The biggest welfare problem for the chicken’s is associated with fast growth they promote fast growth by promoting antibiotics, which grows the bird at a really fast rate so fast that the little birds cannot handle their bodies and struggle with body function. A study at the University of Arkansas reported that if humans grew as fast as today’s chickens we’d weigh 349 pounds by our second birthday. The poorShow MoreRelatedAmerica s Food Industry : An American Scholar And Writer1205 Words   |  5 Pagescitizens view aspects of life. This is evident when it comes to the food industry. For years now America has tricked consumers into believing that there is a wide selection of foods in grocery stores, but in reality, many of those products come from the same place (Food Inc.). Unfortunately, many consumers are blinded by the image of variety displayed in grocery stores to the point where that is actually what they believe. 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Even though so much of America’s crops are genetically modified, the Food and Drug Administration and the United States Department of Agriculture do not require the labelling of genetically modified food products. Producers have the choice of including a GMO-con taining label or a GMO-free one (Storrs 1). There is an increased accessibility of genetically modified, GM crop planting hasRead MoreEssay on The Controversy of Organic vs. Nonorganic Food Production1115 Words   |  5 Pagesa ton of food, and the majority of this consists of packaged and highly processed products. These foods also contain a substantial amount of unwanted fats and chemicals. The growing of organic versus nonorganic food has been a controversial issue for a long time among organic and nonorganic farmers and their customers. This is due to the myriad definitions of healthy eating and the stated benefits on both sides. 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Formal Outline of Speech Introduction I. â€Å"The way we eat has changed more in the last 50 years than in the previous 10,000.† Food activist, Michael Pollan, makes this statement as the introduction to a documentary titled Food Inc., which discusses the way food is being produced today in America. A. Now, thereRead MoreMovie Analysis : Food Inc1897 Words   |  8 PagesFilm Analysis Paper- Food Inc Food Inc is a documentary directed and written by Robert Kenner along with co-writers Elise Pearlstein and Kim Roberts in 2008 to discuss the current origin of food production in the United States. This film takes viewers inside the slaughter houses, farms and factories that produce American food to show how food in the 21st century is no longer organically grown and raised for healthy eating. 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Strategic Analysis- AT&T

Question: Since this is your first consulting job for this client, you want to do it right. After all, this could lead to additional analysis opportunities for you down the road. After benchmarking with other financial consultants, and viewing some of their work, you feel you need to provide the following information to your client: Brief history and description of the company background, primary product/service offerings, customers, business sector(s), etc. Financial analysis of XYZ Company based on data provided from the last four financial reports (Annual Reports and 10Ks). (note: you must choose a publicly-traded corporation in order to be able to access this data) Based on discounted free cash flows, determine enterprise value, equity value and value per share. Weighted average cost of capital details Report on the strengths and weaknesses of any financial trends of XYZ Corporation XYZ Companys competitors who are they, size, background, etc. XYZ Companys industry what are trends in t his industry? Based on your research, where do you think XYZ Company is going to be in three to five years? Provide the valuation on 3 to 5 years going forward. To help answer this question you need to know the company as well as the industry. Make sure you provide and support the assumptions used to project the companys future. Answer: Introduction One of the oldest telecommunication companies in the world is ATT being founded in the year 1874. During the mid 20th Century the company was the largest telecommunication company in the world with employee strength of 1,000,000 people and revenues over $ 3 billion. The services of the company include voice calls, internet services as well as voice over internet protocol services (VOIP). The service users of the company include both the public and the private sector. The company had monopoly in the telecommunications sector over most of the period in 20th Century. In 2005 the company merged with SBC communications and was subsequently rechristened as ATT Inc (ATT, 2016). The paper will analyse pertinent financial information and evaluation of the competitors so as to come at a valid conclusion. Financial Analysis Financial analysis is one of the crucial parameters that lucidly illustrate the standings of an organisation. It is carried out by different ratios and other metrics. For ATT such analyses have been elaborated in the subsequent section. Revenue of the company for the financial year 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 was $127434 million, $128752 million, $132447 million and $146801 million respectively. The gross profit margin for the company for these four years was 56.7 %, 60 %, 54.2 % and 54.3 % respectively (Morning Star, 2016). Operating Income (in USD Million) for 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 was 12,997, 30,479, 11,746 and 24,785 respectively. The operating margin for these four years was 10.2 %, 23.7 %, 8.9 % and 16.9 % respectively. From analysing the financial data as provided by the annual reports the dividends paid was 1.77USD, 1.81 USD, 1.85 USD and 1.89 USD respectively for the years 2012-2015. The payout ratio for the company for these four years was 141.6 %, 125 %, 56.6 % and 208.9 %. Net income of the entity from 2012 to 2015 (in USD Million) was 7264, 18249, 6224 ad 13345. Evaluation of the financial data indicates that ATT has been fairly successful in its operation (Karmarkar and Apte, 2007). Instances of fluctuations can be seen within the performances of the company but overall performance has been quite satisfactory. One of the key indicators of the economic value of an entity is denoted by Enterprise value. In other words Enterprise Value is the assessment of an entitys total value that includes market value of stock, preferred equity and debt added with minority interest and deduced by cash and investments (Shin and Bartolacci, 2007). For the chosen entity the Entity Value is $ 389.12 billion. EV/EBIT ratio is also used in order to understand the acumen of an entity. For AT T the Earnings before Interest and Taxes are $27,224 million. As such the EV/EBIT ratio is 14.24. The EV/ EBITDA of ATT are 7.30 where EBITDA for the company is $53, 105 million. The book value per share for the company for the FY 2015 was $19.96 (Morning Star, 2016). Formula used for the calculation was (Total Equity Preferred Stock)/ Shares Outstanding = (122,671- 0)/6145 = 19.96. In the last 12 months value per share grew at a rate of 20.4 %. Again, the weighted average cost of capital (WACC) is denoted as the average ra te that is needed to be paid to the different security holders for financing the assets. It is often called as the cost of capital of an organisation. From the trailing twelve months data (TTM) the WACC of AT T is 3.69 % with return on invested capital being 7.63 % (ATT, 2016). It has been illustrated by the following equation. WACC=E/ (E+D)*Cost of equity+ D/ (E+D)* Cost of debt * (1-Tax rate) Where, Cost of equity is 1.510+0.35*7.5 %= 4.135 % Cost of Debt = 4120 / 103992.5 = 3.9618% Average tax rate based on the tax rate of last two years is 34.4 % This indicates that the company has been successful in generating greater return from the investment than that of the costs needed to raise such capitals. In other words the company is earning excess returns. Based on the discussion as carried out in the above section it may be opined that ATT has been able to operate successfully and to meet the needs and expectations of the different stakeholders (He et al, 2006). Trends of Strengths Weaknesses (financial) The data as deciphered in the above section can be used in ascertaining certain trends for the company. The revenue over the four year period for the entity has increased from 127,434 million to 146, 801 million. Other than revenue operating income, net income, dividends and payout ratio have all increased in this four year window. Ratio analysis has also illustrated that the company has been successful in extracting greater returns from the market (Seo et al, 2008). Some of the crucial elements that have enabled the company to bolster its performance are effective cost management strategies, repurchase of shares and innovative product offering. The company has invested significantly in upgrading the services for expanding the LTE services. However some of the issues that have cropped up can be described as the tepid wireless subscriber trends, discount plans, declining Average Revenue per User (ARPU) and increased spending on infrastructure (Dittrich and Duysters, 2007). Transmission speed of data and overall usage of it has increased drastically over the years that have resulted in exponential cost rise. The features of a good telecommunication service are transmission speeds, accessibility and price. The company, in order to increase capacity and spectrum, has incurred more than $ 40 billion in metropolitan areas like Chicago, Washington, Los Angeles and Dallas. Moreover, the continuous tussle between the telecommunication provider resulted in decline of margin and AT T is no different (Cricelli et al, 2011). The operational scale of ATT is essentially vast and the company has a complex structure that has made it more difficult to be flexible as compared to some smaller companies. Greater spending by the company on LTE networks and infrastructure has also increased its debt obligation. Consolidated revenues for the company grew at a rate of 23 % over the year to $ 40.5 billion. When Earnings per share metrics (EPS) are compared it indicates to an increase of 10.8 % (Morning Star, 2016). Moreover free cash flow for the company increased to $3.2 billion signifying an increase of 17% when metrics from the FY 2012 are compared. Some of the grey areas that have emerged from analysis of the company are the decline of U-Verse consumers, post-paid customers and decline in video subscribers. To sum up, it may be opined that there are pros and cons for the company. The positives as decoded from the annals far outweigh the weaknesses. With vast operational experience ATT is expected to bridge the shortcomings and gaps in the future and bolster the organisational standings (Owczarczuk, 2010) Competitor and Industry Analysis The aspect of rivalry is omnipresent and companies irrespective of their nature are constantly engaged in competition so as to enhance operational sphere and subsequent revenue. The American telecommunication sector is characterised by a large number of companies vying with each other for tapping this ever growing sector (Dholakia et al, 2013). Some of the notable competitors of ATT include Verizon Communications Inc., Vodafone Group, Deutsche Telekom, BT Group, Telefonica and other numerous smaller companies. All these companies have their USPs and loyal customers. Moreover, the process of globalisation has also led to entry of foreign entities intensification of the competition (Hanif et al, 2010). Highlights of the performances of some of the key players have been carried out in the subsequent section. Verizon Communications has a market capitalisation value of $218, 693 million with net income of $ 14,441 million. The dividend yield % for the company was 4.2 with interest coverage ratio of 6.7. The debt to equity ratio of the company was 4.8 with Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) % over a five year period being 4.3. Vodafone group has a market capitalisation of $82889 million with net income figures of $ (4024) million (Morning Star, 2016). The % dividend yield of the company was 5.0 and interest coverage ratio of -1.6. Again, the debt to equity ratio of the company was 0.4 coupled with 5 year CAGR % being -2.2 %. For Deutsche Telekom market capitalisation value was $ 80,062 million and a net income of $ 5592 million. As a % the dividend yield of the company was 3.5. The compounded annual growth rate of the company over a span of five years was 2.1 %. The interest coverage ratio of the company was 2.8 and debt to equity ratio being 1.6 (Berg et al, 2012). BT Group posted a market capitalisation value of $ 51178 million along with a net income figure of $ 2665 million. The dividend yield as a % was 3.6 along with an interest coverage ratio of 6.9. The D/E ratio for the company was 1.1 with CAGR % of -1.4. Telefonica has a market capitalisation value of $50,000 million USD and net income value of $1844 million. Dividend yield, expressed as a percentage, for the company was 4.4 %. Interest coverage ratio for Telefonica was 1.1 % and a D/E ratio of 3.2. The growth rate o9f the company as expressed by the CAGR was -6.6 % (Battistella, 2014). In light of the above discussion the performance of AT T can be stated to be fairly positive. The company has operated efficiently and some of the metrics of the company are significantly better than that of its rivals. The industry average in the telecommunication sector in US is: market capitalisation of $17292 million, net income of $ 119,412 million, 3.5 % dividend yield, CAGR 8.3 %, debt to equity ratio 0.9 %. Thus some of the metrics for ATT is higher than the industry average as well as the rivals (Malhotra and Kubowicz, 2013). Due to sheer volume of the company the CAGR may be lower than some of the newer entrants but the overall scenario is favourable. Future trends All over the world the telecommunication sector is growing rapidly. However such growth rate is lesser in developed markets like that of US. Experts have pointed out that service fees will keep diminishing over the years with content and service being projected to rise significantly. Another significant trend is spurt of internet connectivity and the world is poised to enter the era of zettabytes (Merritt, 2011). Another significant trend is that there will be an incursion of boomers and the US market will be thoroughly saturated. Carriers and service providers will be expected to provide more exhaustive security measures and telecommunication companies have to include greater technical finesse and innovation. For ATT these developments will provide challenges and growth opportunities alike. There will be massive consumption of data coupled with spurt of wearables. It is expected that fifth generation mobile networks (5G) along with internet of things (IoT) will bring a wave of chang e (Paulrajan and Rajkumar, 2011). Challenge for ATT lies in providing quality and affordable services in a market that is witnessing increased usage, failing rates and sparse spectrum. Recommendations Owing to the volatility of the money market it is difficult to predict precisely. For the same reason forecasts are made only for the next one/two quarters. From observations of the analysts few trends have been depicted that have been used for drawing valid recommendations. The 12 month price target of the shares of the company comprises a median of $45.00, high estimate of $48.00 and low estimate of $26.00. When compared to the last price, the median represents an increase of 7.24 % (Financial Times, 2016). Overall view of the analysts on the stock prices of AT T is that they are overweight. In other words the stock of ATT offers better value for money than others. As such investing in the stock of the company will be a good option. The 2016 dividend of the company is expected to be around $1.928 and 2017 dividends of $ 1.973. These predictions show that dividend of the company will grow at a rate of 2.01 %. From this criterion too the company has performed well. Revenue for the company for the second quarter of 2016 was $40.52 billion. For the third quarter the revenue is expected to go up to $41.15 billion. Finally the fourth quarter revenue is slated to be $ 42.39 billion with an average growth rate of 5.59 %. According to the analysts overall revenue of the company for the FY 2016 and FY 2017 will be $164.62 billion and $167.86 billion respectively with growth rates of 3.83 % (Financial Times, 2016). Conclusion The paper has illustrated history and brief description of one of the largest telecommunication companies in the world with relevant discussion on the services. The financial performance of the past four years have been analysed by the help of the annual reports. Discounted free cash flows have been used for determining the enterprise value (EV), equity value and value per share. Moreover the weighted average cost of capital has also been ascertained and appropriate trends have been discussed. It has been observed that the company has performed better than many of the rivals and is poised to expand further (Cricelli et al, 2011). Future trends within this industry have been stated along with effective recommendations that the company will find useful in augmenting its position. References: ATT (2016): Online accessed from https://www.att.com/gen/investor-relations?pid=9186 accessed on 13/8/2016 Battistella, C. (2014). The organisation of Corporate Foresight: A multiple case study in the telecommunication industry.Technological Forecasting and Social Change,87, 60-79. Berg, S. V., Jiang, L., Lin, C. (2012). Regulation and corporate corruption: new evidence from the telecom sector.Journal of Comparative Economics, 40(1), 22-43. Cricelli, L., Grimaldi, M., Ghiron, N. L. (2011). The competition among mobile network operators in the telecommunication supply chain.International Journal of Production Economics,131(1), 22-29. Dholakia, R. R., Mundorf, N., Dholakia, N. (2013).New infotainment technologies in the home: Demand-side perspectives. Routledge. Dittrich, K., Duysters, G. (2007). Networking as a means to strategy change: the case of open innovation in mobile telephony.Journal of product innovation management,24(6), 510-521. Financial Times (2016): Online accessed from https://markets.ft.com/data/equities/tearsheet/forecasts?s=T:NYQ accessed on 17/8/2016 Hanif, M., Hafeez, S., Riaz, A. (2010). Factors affecting customer satisfaction.International Research Journal of Finance and Economics,60(1), 44-52. He, Z. L., Lim, K., Wong, P. K. (2006). Entry and competitive dynamics in the mobile telecommunications market.Research Policy,35(8), 1147-1165. Karmarkar, U. S., Apte, U. M. (2007). Operations management in the information economy: Information products, processes, and chains.Journal of Operations Management,25(2), 438-453. Malhotra, A., Kubowicz Malhotra, C. (2013). Exploring switching behavior of US mobile service customers.Journal of Services Marketing,27(1), 13-24. Merritt, C. (2011). Mobile money transfer services: the next phase in the evolution of person-to-person payments.Journal of Payments Strategy Systems,5(2), 143-160. Morning Star (2016): Online accessed from https://financials.morningstar.com/competitors/industry-peer.action?t=T accessed on 13/8/2016 Owczarczuk, M. (2010). Churn models for prepaid customers in the cellular telecommunication industry using large data marts.Expert Systems with Applications,37(6), 4710-4712. Paulrajan, R., Rajkumar, H. (2011). Service quality and customers preference of cellular mobile service providers.Journal of technology management innovation,6(1), 38-45. Seo, D., Ranganathan, C., Babad, Y. (2008). Two-level model of customer retention in the US mobile telecommunications service market.Telecommunications Policy,32(3), 182-196. Shin, D. H., Bartolacci, M. (2007). A study of MVNO diffusion and market structure in the EU, US, Hong Kong, and Singapore.Telematics and Informatics,24(2), 86-100.

The Lifestyle of Salvador Dali

Introduction Salvador Dali has always been referred to as one of the greatest artists of the 20th century. Due to his great paintings and other works of art, some people have regarded Dali as the greatest Surrealist artist to ever live. However, when he was asked personally whether he considered himself the greatest artist in the world, Dali denied any allegations.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Lifestyle of Salvador Dali specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Actually, he used to refer himself as a bad artist and painter because of the fact that he was too intelligent (Hesse 41). Dali had a belief that for someone to become a good artist, he/she needs to be a bit insane (Hesse 41). Dali acknowledged the fact that the society loved his works. In one of his interviews, Dali stated that people regarded him as the best artist in the world because the other artists who were creating during the time he lived i n were doing a very bad work (Hesse 45). After having a successful career as an artist, a filmmaker, and a photographer, Dali retired, and went to his home town of Figueres in Spain, in a castle where his wife, Galo, had been buried (Genzmer 65). During this time, there was no clear inventory of his works. At the same time, the speed at which people were selling the replicas of his works in the world was very high. However, Dali was not highly concerned with the success. At that time, he had lived an isolated and lonely life away from the public and his friends who he was close with during the early years of his life. This was perhaps because his mentor and the love of his life, Gala, was no longer there with him. As such, this paper will expound on the life of Salvador Dali, namely, it will focus on his early life, the impacts that he had on Surrealism, the success of his works, the way the society regarded Dali as well as his works and, finally, the criticisms that he received reg arding his personal life as well as his paintings; the paper will also highlight on his personal life, how he developed his talent in art, the factors that influenced him and led him to join the Surrealist movement, the impact his wife Gala had on his life as an artist, and his life after leaving Surrealism. The Early Days of Dali Salvador Dali was born on 11 May, 1904. He shared the same name with his father and elder brother who had died in 1903 because of meningitis. His father was the only solicitor in Catalina. As a result of the influence that he had and the respect that he had earned from the community, he hoped that his son, Dali, would take up his profession, and continue with his work to enhance his legacy. However, this never came to be true as Dali pursued other interests in life. Consequently, the two had a tense relationship. His mother, Felipa Domenech, was a strong Christian professing the Roman Catholic faith. To ensure that her children had strong foundations in li fe and developed desirable morals, she raised them in accordance with the practices of the church.Advertising Looking for research paper on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Dali was enrolled in the Christian school in Figueres. It is in this school that he discovered his passion for art. In his book, The Shameful Life of Dali, he highlights one of his earliest memories while at school. He is in class; he closes his eyes to come up with a spontaneous image. The vision that comes to his mind is of two tall cypress trees that were of relatively the same height. From his desk, he sees two more paintings. One of these paintings was a picture of a fox that was coming out of a cabin. The other picture was a replica of Millet’s Angelus that was originally done by Jean-Franà §ois in the 19th century. The theme and concepts behind this painting astonished young Dali, especially the motionless images of the man and the woman. His imagination pictured the context and the main idea of this image that consisted in the fact that the woman is a virgin who is waiting to be married, and the man who is sexually attracted to the woman, is excited which is why he hides his arousal by the hat that he is holding in his hands. Millet’s Angelus played a critical role in the future works of Dali. He used such a concept in some of his works as a central theme to express his imagination (Genzmer 77). Accompanied by his parents, Dali visited the gravesite of his brother when he was about five years old. Although the two had actually never met, there was an immense connection between Dali and his late brother. The two shared the same name. Due to the connections that both of them had, Dali used images of his brother in most of the works that he painted during his entire life. For instance, in 1963, Dali painted an image that was dedicated to his brother, Portrait of My Dead Brother (Genzmer 79). In his b ook, the Secret Life of Dali, he stated that, â€Å"†¦we resembled each other like two drops of water, but we had different reflections. He was probably a first version of myself but conceived too much in the absolute† (Dali 2). As a young boy, Dali suffered from asthma. His condition became worse with time, perhaps due to the environment of his home area. To make sure their son lived in a good environment, his parents took Dali to live with one of their family friends, Ramon Pichot, who lived in the country. Pichot was a modern painter; his house was a converted mill with a tower. During the time spent together with the Pichot family, Dali’s imagination and talent were at his zenith. He loved to spend most of his time at the top of the tower. There, he would imagine himself as a dictator or a tyrant. Being the leader in his dreams, Dali regarded all the subjects surrounding him as slaves for the fulfillment of his personal and egocentric thirst for power, control of people and respect.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Lifestyle of Salvador Dali specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Dali had been having these imaginations since the time he lived with his parents in Figueres. Other than having these imaginations, it is at the Pichot’s house that Dali’s talent in art was discovered. The dining room of the Pichot home was decorated with art paintings, all of which were originals. The family was also renowned for their eccentric work in music and art. Under the influence and the directions of Ramon Pichot, Dali started painting. According to Dali, the fact that he attended a drawing school gave him the opportunity to explore his imagination that was earlier not very bright and vivid due to the absence of an academic education. In his earlier days when he was living with his parents, his mother had noticed his passion for art and had encouraged him to dra w. However, the excellence that Ramon identified in his works was remarkable. It is due to this fact that the Pichot family persuaded Dali’s father to enroll him in the Academy of Fine Arts in Madrid for the teenager to fully identify, develop and explore his talent in art. His father was always reluctant to this idea probably because he wanted his son to follow his career steps. However, after a number of Ramon Pichot’s persuasions, he agreed for Dali to join the Academy of Fine Arts in Madrid in 1922 (Creed 14) Prior to his enrolment in the Academy of Fine Arts, Dali faced another challenge in his life, the death of his mother. Felipa Domenech died in early 1921 from breast cancer. She was Dali’s mentor in life. She believed in him and supported him in almost everything that he did. Dali had a profound love for his mother, and the fact that she had gone had a huge psychological impact on the teenager. Dali described the death of his mother as, â€Å"†¦th e greatest blow I had experienced in my life. I worshipped her†¦ I could not resign myself to the loss of a being on whom I counted to make invisible the unavoidable blemishes of my soul† (Dali 153). His greatest fear, however, was the fact that his mother would be completely forgotten by people by the people. As a result, Dali vowed that he would go out of his length to ensure that his name would never be forgotten. This was perhaps the main source of motivation that made him become a successful artist in his later life leaving behind a career of solicitor his father had always wanted him to follow. In 1922, Dali moved to Madrid where he joined the Academy of Fine Arts. It is in this institution that the life of Dali both as an individual and as an artist began to take form. While interacting with other students, he developed strong friendship bonds with people who would later become influential figures in Spain and the world at large.Advertising Looking for research paper on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, the friendship that he made with Luis Bunuel and Federico Garcia Lorca was the most important since they played a critical role in establishing his future life (Rodriguez 34). Luis Bunuel was a student of the Natural History Department. He would later on end up becoming one of the most successful filmmakers and directors in Spain. Federico Garcia, on the other hand, was a writer and a poet. By the time Dali met him, Spain had already commenced recognizing his talent in writing. While living in the campus of the Academy of Arts in Madrid, Dali reported that there was present segregation based on academic excellence and career among students. Given the fact that he was from a small village in Spain and the fact that his works were not renowned at the time, most students regarded Dali as a backward individual with a funny taste and style (Creed 87). Despite this fact, the relationship that Dali had with Luis Bunuel and Federico Garcia led to the development and creation of a s mall group of artists united by their immense talents. When studying at the Academy, Dali was working on a cubist canvass. He was not familiar with the cubist movement, or its ideologies. He only had a vague idea of the movement from the information that he had gathered from the magazines and books he was given by Ramon Pichot while he was living with his family. Nonetheless, Dali had fully mastered the artistic concepts of the cubic movement. Thus, while working on one of the cubic canvasses in his room, a student noticed this piece of painting. He was amazed by the painting and Dali’s talent in general. Immediately after that, he disseminated the information on the potential that Dali possessed. It is at this point that the other students accepted Dali into their realm of intellectual students because he was talented as they were. With his new friends, Dali became aware of the feeling of success. He also had a sense of belonging since he was constantly interacting with stud ents and people of the same intellectual level. Although Dali was good at school and had started to establish a strong base for his future career, his attitude and traits of character failed him on several occasions. As a result of his conduct, Dali was expelled twice from the Academy of Fine Arts. In the last case occurred, Dali was expelled because of the unrest that he had caused developed. He believed that he was better and more highly qualified than his professors were (Gibson 149). Dali was supposed to expound on Raphael Sanzio, a Renaissance painter from Italy. Raphael was one of the artists that Dali looked up to. Therefore, he told his professors that he knew much more about Raphael as compared to all three of them put together (Rodriguez 65). These utterances enraged the professors that caused Dali’s expulsion from the Academy of Fine Arts. As a result, Dali never sat for his final exams. This incident also played a critical role in destroying the relationship that Dali had with his father who felt bitter because of his son’s actions. Dali’s father had now given up hope that his son would ever have an official career. On his arrival back home, Dali made a pencil drawing of his father and sister. From the drawing, the bitterness that his father was feeling at that moment clearly imprinted on his face. This drawing became one of his most successful works during those times. Entry into Surrealism and Rise to Success After being expelled from the Academy of Fine Arts in Madrid, Dali returned to his home in Figueres, where Dali continued to pursue his passion for painting despite his father’s disapproved. The Basket of Bread, a painting that Dali made in the year 1926 is one of his early works that were successful and gained him a lot of recognition as an artist. Dali, however, changed some styles and design of his paintings during the late 1920s. The concepts of his new paintings followed quite a different style called Surreal ism. Dali initial paintings had a modern concept or a classical concept. In some of his early works, a mixture of the two concepts was present. He always stressed on the fact that his passion for art was influenced by great artists of the Renaissance period, in particular, such artists as Raphael Sanzio and Diego Velazquez, after whom he grew his iconic mustache. Dali regarded these individuals as the greatest painters of all times. In an interview, Dali stated that Velazquez was a genius as well as a great painter (Target 114). The quality of his works was always magnificent. As a result, he believed that he would never make paintings that would reach the levels of Velazquez. He said as a joke that if he would manage to make a painting that was as good as Velazquez’s, then he would definitely die. Thus, since he wanted to live longer, he would continue to make paintings that are of a lower quality than those of Diego Velazquez. Dali’s interest in Surrealism grew after reading several editions of La Revolution Surrealiste, a surrealist magazine that covered the works of people who were part of movement and believed in it. In the magazine, Dali saw the works painted by Catalonian artists. The concepts and styles found on the canvasses presented in the magazine touched Dali’s emotions and feelings. Within time, Dali adopted the concept that enabled him to explore his creativity and imagination to deeper depths. It is due to this influence that Dali developed an iconic style of his own, being the style of painting that he was recognized with for the rest of his life. When he was a student, some of Dali’s early works were presented in several exhibitions in the Catalan capital that were situated in Barcelona. It is in that place that the works of other great artists of the time, such as Pablo Picasso and Joan Miro were also displayed. The great success that they enjoyed from the works of renowned artists, such as Picasso and Miro, the C atalonian art promoters wanted to develop the talents of upcoming artists to guarantee the sustainability of their art culture as well as their movement in the long run. Therefore, presenting the works of a young artist, such as Dali was one of their main motives. In the art galleries, Dali’s work caught the attention of the public. According to JA Maragal, a Catalonian art dealer, the work of Dali was extraordinary; it was realistic with a lot of sense (Torok 141). Maragal exhibited Dali’s work in his art gallery during the fall of 1926. During this time, the public was astonished by the quality of work as well as the talent that the young writer had. The public tried to determine the message that Dali’s work was trying to convey. There were demonstrations as well as protests regarding Dali’s work. Press posted cartoons in newspapers and magazines as a means of trying to fully understand the ideas presented by Dali. As a result, all his works were sold o ut. The success of Dali’s work in Catalina played a significant role in developing his reputation and credibility. Joan Miro became familiar with the works of Dali because of the success during the exhibition. He had a lot of admiration for the talent of the young artist. As a result, he introduced Dali to Pablo Picasso who was living in Paris at that time. In the same year, Dali went to Paris for the first time in his life. There, he had the chance to finally meet Picasso. With the guidance and directions of these two artists, Dali managed to develop his talent to a greater extent. It is in Paris that Dali finally understood Surrealism and the idea behind the movement. During the 1920s, Paris was regarded as the cultural city of the world. It is also during this time that Surrealism was at its heights, and it is in Paris where its impacts were felt the most. Andre Breton headed the movement (Creed 91). Surrealism was a movement that explored the functioning of thought. The f ollowers of the movement achieved this goal through the different forms of writing as well as their works of art. All these works explored their imagination and creativity. As the leader, Breton was responsible for coming up with the ideologies and guidelines that the followers of the movement were to follow. In 1924, for instance, Breton developed the surrealist manifesto that was used to define Surrealism, its goals and objectives, and the overall purpose of the group (Bokay 45). By means of surrealism and the directions of Picasso and Miro, Dali developed a new style of art. Prior to his introduction into Surrealism, Dali’s work had been mainly based on impressionism, futurism and cubism (Bokay 45). However, after he had become a follower of the Surrealist movement, his painting concepts changed totally. The main themes that were present in his new works included an extensive of use of collage, sexual symbolism, and imagery. The idea behind his paintings originated from hi s dreams. In an interview, Dali once told that he loved to sleep because it is through his dreams that he managed to get the ideas to work on and, consequently, develop them (Torok 140). To enhance on his ideas, Dali utilized classical techniques that were present in the works of artists such as Raphael and Velazquez to enhance his own hallucinatory thoughts. Therefore, with the help of Surrealism, Dali came up with a completely new style of art. This style not only led to his success but also differentiated him from other surrealist painters. With the help of his works, Dali made a huge contribution to Surrealism; he developed the paranoiac-critical method, a technique that artists can use to capture images from their subconscious mind (Target 119). This concept was effective as it enhanced the development of creativity and originality in the works of artists under the surrealism movement. With this concept, Dali and other Surrealist artists managed to transform their dreams and su bconscious thoughts into reality. Through this technique, Dali believed that he had the power to determine what reality could and could not exist. As a result of his work and contributions to the art, in general, Dali ended up being one of the most influential figures of the Surrealism movement between 1929 and 1934. In addition to the paranoiac-critical method, the works of Dali employed other features and techniques. For instance, in one of his works titled, The Weaving of Furniture Nutrition that Dali painted in 1934, several techniques are presented. At a glance, the picture looks normal. However, after a close investigation, one realizes that the picture has surreal components. The first thing that one notes is the crutch that has been used to support the back of the woman in the picture. This concept represents reversed laws of nature, one of the main features of Surrealism. Consequently, juxtaposition is presented by the fact that there are two chests in the picture. The Ghos t of Vermer of Delft is another marvelous work of art by Salvador Dali painted in 1934. In this work, several features of Surrealism are also vividly expressed. First, the leg of the man is elongated, at the same time, representing the leg of the table. This concept is referred to as metamorphosis (Freud 26). The painting also has a strange form of lighting that has been used as a transformation technique to scare and surprise the viewer at the same time. However, the most successful work that Dali created during this time was the Persistence of Memory. Before completing this painting, Dali and Gala (who later became his wife and mentor) were to watch a motion film together in the theater. However, Dali changed his mind and decided to stay in, while Gala and her friends went to the theater. While at the dining table, Dali was thinking about the super-soft nature of the cheese that they had just eaten. After that he went to the studio to have one last look at the painting, a routine check that he always had. The painting represented the landscape of Port Llegat with an olive tree that had neither branches, nor leaves. He felt at that very moment that something was missing in the painting that would surely give it an element of surprise. Suddenly, he came up with an idea, and added three soft watches, one of them hanging on the olive tree. When Galo came back from the theatre, Dali showed her the painting and asked her if she would forget this image after three years time. Gala said that no one would ever forget it once they had laid eyes on it. Surprisingly, she told the truth, and the painting was a success. Reaction to his Work and Personality Despite the success that Dali was enjoying as a surrealist painter, he also experienced a lot of criticism for his work and paintings, especially from his fellow Surrealists. In 1934, Dali painted a controversial picture, The Enigma of William Tell. The main theme of this painting was sexuality and death that were prese nted by the enlarged buttocks of Lennon leading to his disfiguration. The alteration of this character questioned Dali’s motives amongst other Surrealist, and he was summoned to the Surrealism headquarters for a trial (Freud 26). Other than his paintings, Dali’s political ideologies were also questionable. It was believed at this time that he embraced fascism under the Nazi movement. At the same time, Dali supported Francisco Franco who was the leader of the rebel army during the Spanish Civil war of 1936-1939. Under the leadership of Breton, Surrealists were leftist supporters. Therefore, the fact that Dali supported Franco proved that his ideologies did not match the ones professed by the movement. Because of these encounters, Dali was formally expelled from the Surrealist movement. However, it is believed that there were other personal differences between Breton and Dali that might have led to his expulsion from the movement. Despite all these, Dali still maintained Surrealist ideologies in his later paintings. However, when he moved to the United States of America, Dali changed his style to classicism. With its techniques, Dali explored new ideas that enabled him to maintain his success. In the early 1940s, the Museum of Modern Art in New York displayed the work of Dali. This exhibition had a positive appraisal from American painters as well as the public. In 1942, Dali released his book, The Secret Life of Dali. In USA, Dali became a celebrity; he was even featured in The Time Magazine as the greatest artist of the first half of the 20th century. However, another aspect of his personality started to develop slowly, his notoriety. While people in Spain were familiar with this, the Americans were surprised when Dali smashed the window of a shop in New York that had altered the design that he had come up with. However, despite this, he continued to gather public support, for instance, some of his fans, Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds Morse played a cruci al role in founding the Salvador Dali Museum. During the 1960s and 1970s, Dali spent much of his time developing the Dali Theatre and Museum in Figueres where he was later buried. Conclusion Dali has been one of controversial artists of all times. From the very beginning, he became the most renowned artist of the 20th century. With his talent and imaginations, he used different techniques and developed several methods that not only made him a leading figure of the surreal movement, but also played a critical role in the financial success and fame that he managed to gain. As a result, Dali has been regarded as one of the most successful artists of all times. Works Cited Bokay, Antal. â€Å"Psychoanalysis and Surrealism: Dali’s visit at Freud.† International  Journal of Art and Design 3.1 (1997): 44-48. Print Creed, Barbara. The Monstrous-Feminine, Routledge: London, 1993. Print Dali, Salvador. The Secret Life of Salvador Dalà ­, New York: Dover, 1942. Print Freud, Si gmund. The Interpretation of Dreams, Budapest: Helikon Kiadà ³, 1993. Print Genzmer, Herbert. Dali, Budapest: Vincze Kiadà ³, 2000. Print Gibson, Ian. The Shameful Life of Salvador Dali, New York: Norton, 1999. Print. Hesse, Hermann. A Little Theology, Madrid: Cartaphilius, 2001. Print Rodriguez, Perera. Geniuses of Art: Dali. London: Sage, 2001. Print. Target, Mary. â€Å"Phantoms of the Unconsciousness.† Thalassa, 3.9 (2000): 112-123. Print Torok, Maria. â€Å"Hidden Mourning and Secret Love.† Thalassa 1.9 (1998): 123-157. Print This research paper on The Lifestyle of Salvador Dali was written and submitted by user Brielle U. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.