Clawin' to the Top - STEVEN R. TABOR

Clawin' to the Top

What does it mean to hide in your shell?

Salvador Dalí believed that a lobster could reveal the secret desires of the unconscious mind. In 1939, he and George Platt Lynes engaged in a photographic collaboration entitled “The Dream of Venus” during the New York World’s Fair. One of the photos shows Salvador Dalí grasping the nude body of a female figure. A lobster is placed directly in front of the female’s pelvic area. The lobster’s claws hold a powerful ability to lacerate other objects, which lends itself to becoming a perfect surrealistic symbol.

As 2021 comes to a close, we seem to be caught in a web of surrealistic struggles. If a lobster could help protect us on this precarious journey, that would be terrific. In this series, a model, Olive, and her lobster, wander from gardens to valleys and onward to distant mountains. With her faithful lobster by her side, Olive claws her way to the top.

If you'd like to see the full series, download the PDF catalog here.