Vaudeville said:
that's some crazy art man.
Please if anybody here knows about art at least a little bit or likes it why are artists like celebrities when they paint random stuff it may mean stuff to them but how the hell does it mean something to everybody else? or do people just look at art to try and look smart?
I think, in relation to contemporary artists, it's never supposed to be "random stuff." There are recurring themes and careful placement, which to the unenlightened eye, may seem "random" but its placement is quite significant and purposeful. I think you are right though, in the sense that it has become "trendy" to the "arty types" to find meaning in the most seemingly simplistic and insignifant works of art.... that is a more modern approach, which I don't particularly like.
As for Surrealism, which Dali is most commonly associated with, you really have to understand the time frame, artistic method and social content in which it evolved, because it helps to draw out the themes and inspiration behind the work. I think, the more you study a peice of work, the clearer the message becomes, and I dont mean study as in looking at it, I mean researching the artwork.