The artwork “Lobster Telephone” by Salvador Dali, created in 1936, is an iconic sculpture belonging to the Surrealist movement. Part of the “Lobster/Aphrodisiac Telephone” series, this piece is known for its provocative combination of ordinary objects in a dreamlike context. The artwork currently resides at the Museum für Kommunikation in Frankfurt, Germany.
The sculpture blends the unassuming familiarity of a black rotary telephone with the organic, unexpected form of a lobster where the handset would usually be. The choice of a crustacean is particularly significant as the lobster’s tail arches over the phone, its claws and antennae adding an element of the uncanny. The juxtaposition of the lifelike lobster with the man-made phone invites the viewer to explore themes of irrationality and desire, hallmarks of Dali’s work.
By placing the lobster—a symbol that Dali associated with sexuality—atop the typically asexual telephone, the artist creates a sharp contrast between the everyday and the erotic. This unexpected pairing is in line with Surrealist objectives, which aim to challenge perceptions and combine disparate realms to unlock the creativity of the unconscious mind. The use of familiar objects in unfamiliar contexts creates a sense of dislocation, asking the onlooker to question the nature of reality and how it is perceived. Indeed, this artwork exemplifies the Surrealist fascination with dream projections and subconscious imagery, where objects take on new, often disconcerting meanings.
