foreign one European artist that completely mastered for use of blending such bright and colorful colors with dark and somber themes one of the very first on my list would have to be none other than James enzor a Visionary Belgian artist of a 19th and 20th centuries Enzo occupies a unique and compelling place in the annals of art history his works are a testament to his extraordinary ability to blend the Fantastical with the mundane the grotesque with the Absurd and the Macabre with the humerus classically trains and Infamous for painting with a skull propped on his easel and zozar throughout his career to fight convention and challenge Society Norms of his time with the style characterized by Vivid colors jarring details and a ponchon for satire he is often associated with the symbolist and expressionist movements yet Observer transcends easy categorization through his paintings drawings and etchings enzor delved into the human psyche peeling back layers of societal masks to reveal the complexities and contradictions of a human condition his art is a captivating exploration of the subconscious a carnival of symbolism and a powerful commentary on the era in which he lived in this video we're going to be exploring some of James enzor's most bizarre and disturbing paintings to help us delve deeper into the enigmatic world he created a world where ordinary becomes extraordinary and the grotesque becomes beautiful leaving an indelible mark on the evolution of the art world don't forget to subscribe to the channel and ring the notification Bell for more videos that delve into the weird and wonderful side of creativity and with that said welcome to another video my friends I invite you to explore some of the strangest paintings of James enzor [Music] before we start taking a look at the artwork I think it would help to take a brief look at the life and career of the artist himself just to help provide a bit of extra context and let us know what exactly we're getting ourselves into here James and zor was born on April 13 1860 into a middle class family in Austin a coastal town in Belgium raised by his mother Maria katharina Hageman after his father's early death Enzo's upbringing was marked by a deep appreciation for the Arts his mother ran a curiosity shop that sold masks costumes and trinkets which as we'll soon see in this video later became a significant influence on most of his paintings Enzo's artistic Journey began when he enrolled at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Brussels in 1877. there he received formal training but was often at odds with traditional academic methods at the start of his career he was clearly very proficient in painting realism but he was drawn more to the avant-garde movements including impressionism and symbolism which would shape his unique and eccentric style that he would be remembered for throughout his life James zensor was what could be best described as a non-conformist he refused to follow the Norms of the art establishment choosing instead to explore his own imagination his own inner monologue and worked largely in isolation from the mainstreams and art in that period The Works he created during the midst of his career were characterized by a blend of outlandish and Macabre elements often influenced by his fascination with masks and grotesque Carnival figures as his career progressed the art began to epitomize his disdain for social hypocrisy and his passion for satire depicting a chaotic procession of bizarre characters despite his Innovative approach Enzo faced initial rejection from the art World his unconventional style led to his ostracization resulting in him often struggling financially nevertheless he remained resilient and true to his style and as he persevered his unique Vision eventually garnered wider recognition in 1885 he co-founded the artist group known as the 20 which aimed to challenge the artistic conventions and promote avant-garde art Enzo's participation in this group provided him with a platform to Showcase his work and connect with like-minded artists Enzo's Works towards the tail end of his career saw a shift towards introspection and self-portraiture his use of vibrant colors heavy brush work and intricate detail created a dynamic and often unsettling atmosphere in his paintings Enzo's exploration of human psychology and inner turmoil set him apart as a Visionary he continued to paint until his death on November 19 1949 in his hometown of Austin in Belgium today his works are displayed in museums worldwide and his legacy endures it's a testament to the power of artistic individualism and the ability to challenge societal Norms through paint [Music] the first painting we'll be looking at today is arguably one of his most iconic the 1889 painting titled Christ's entry into Brussels in fact this painting is often regarded as not only his artistic Legacy but also an emblematic Masterpiece of Belgian symbolism a late 19th century art movement for sought to convey emotions ideas and themes through symbolic and allegorical imagery ensource painting here is a complex chaotic and somewhat disturbing portrayal of a carnival procession in Brussels in which Jesus Christ is depicted as a central figure first of all the painting is huge measuring over 10 square meters an area in his attic Studio Enzo was only able to fit in small sections of canvas up against his wall at one time with other sections laying rolled up on the floor so that he never could view the work as a whole during the time that he was creating it however the large ending results really adds to the sense of grandeur and spectacle of the scene we're presented with in the foreground a frenzied and grotesque Carnival procession unfolds with dozens upon dozens of masks and costume figures including a strange looking Bishop leading A procession equally depicted in a chaotic and nightmarish manner they are engaging in debauchery drunkenness and revelry reflecting the hedonistic excess of the carnival moving towards the viewer like a human River of Madness which similar to that of Edvard monk may have alluded to Enzo's fear of crowds during most of his life generally preferring isolation the slogan Vive La socio meaning long-lived social progress on a red banner seems to dominate the entire top half of the scene at the center of a composition amidst the chaos Jesus Christ is positioned on the donkey evoking the traditional Christian imagery of Christ's triumphant entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday a theme not unknown in Enzo's Arts up until this point as evidence and such works like the great and glorious Century of Christ into Jerusalem created four years prior however and Source Christ in this work which at times has even been interpreted as serving as an alter ego of Enzo himself is not the Serene and dignified prophets commonly depicted in religious Arts instead in spite of his arm open in a warm gesture he almost appears as a passive and bemused Observer perhaps commenting on the descendants of society around him the fall of humanity that Now lies ahead of him what I find personally fascinating is how many experts seem to conclude that enzoy uses his manic Carnival possession as a metaphor for society during his lifetime for Carnival traditionally a time of Celebration and revelry becomes a symbol of moral Decay and hypocrisy The Masks worn by the carnival goers are metaphorical representing the facades people put on in society concealing their true selves and their true sins a concept that Enzo would explore regularly as we'll continue to see in this video Christ's presence amidst this chaos serves as a critique of a superficial religiosity a moral decay of the Society of this time the autobiographical qualities of these characters should come to little surprise when learning of the anger and disappointments Enzo had towards his hometown and his populace who not only refused to understand him but who also frequently scoffed and laughed at him it's important to understand that despite the respect he later garnered as an artist during this time in his career many art colleagues declined to exhibit his work his family considered his work to be merely a waste of time and art critics would regularly deride him they too alongside the good citizens of Austin who thought he was just crazy are all presents In This Crowd due to this Christ's entry into Brussels can be seen as not only satirical commentary on the political and social climate of late 19th century Belgium but also a deeply personal one Enzo was known for his criticism of a bourgeoisie and the ruling class and the painting reflects his disillusionments with a hypocrisy and moral descendants he observed in society the crowd's frenzied behavior and their indifference to Christ's presence can be seen as a condemnation of societal values that prioritize Hedonism over spirituality and moral values but on a more personal note and zores quite simply rebelling against his own situation declaring the world to be nothing but an endless Carnival of infantile people filled with malice stupidity deviousness and ignorance Enzo would even comment himself on a painting as follows Christ's entry into Brussels Hare swarm all the little hard and soft creatures spit up by the Sea overcome with irony excited by the magnificence my vision is sharpened I clarify my colors they are willful and personal end quote in terms of artistic technique and zor's use of color and texture is noteworthy he employs bold and vibrant colors contrasting the Lively Carnival atmosphere with the solemnity of Christ's presence the use of impasto a technique where paint is applied in thick textured layers gives the painting a tactile quality adding to its visual impact it almost gives off the same impression as looking at a painting by Hieronymus Bosch where the more you look at these layers of details and the Minifigures scattered across the work the more secrets seem to unravel his crude composition unconventional betrayal of Christ and bold use of color and texture make it a seminal work of symbolism it truly is Little Wonder that has been studied time and time again though this would not be the only unconventional depiction of Christ that enzor would work on in his career as we'll now see in the next painting completed two years later [Music] this oil painting completed in 1891 is titled The Man of Sorrows a piece that stands as a powerful Testament to James Enzo's ability to convey complex emotions through his art by combining religious imagery with his prominent interest in masks the phrase Man of Sorrows especially to many of you Avid art historians out there may not be an unknown term to you in truth there are countless powerful depictions of Jesus Christ and states of suffering that have appeared in European Arts over the centuries often used historically in places of worship as a graphic reminder to the masses of what he endured for the sake of our sins although Enzo's interpretation has been believed by many experts to be inspired directly by the 15th century painting by the Flemish painter ilbret bouts what Enzo offers here is entirely raw and unique in this painting we are once again presented with Jesus Christ though he is a grotesque site with the crown of thorns blood streaming down his face whilst up against a scratchy blood red background his face is also menacing and almost demonic despite being a depiction of a messiah himself with a snarling grinning mouth and intense eyes that stare ahead though these features are not solely from Enzo's imagination due to Enzo's affinity for masks as well as his mask collection the general belief is that this representation of Christ is Blended with that of a Japanese no theater mask more specifically it may be inspired by the character of Hanya the jealous female demon who shares quite similar characteristics though it's not entirely clear whether or not this was based off of a mask that he personally owns moreover as before there is much indication that this again is an alter ego of Enzo due to very similar facial features with this painting serving as basically a self-portrait to display his mental state and Outlook of a world of the time although Christ appears to be laughing in an almost threatening way it could also be a contorted face of Anguish or a more maniacal laugh regardless this convulsed face covered in all this blood is certainly a picture of both pain and anger it is certainly true that during this period of his life enzor was experiencing a profound existential crisis that quickly formed into a deep depression a depression that pushed the artist so far that he attempted to sell his studio and all his artwork along with it but despite his best efforts ultimately he would never find a willing buyer to put it into perspective how much Enzo suffered whether he was painting or not he would write to an art critic as follows for me art is born of pain and except for rare instances my life is bound up with bitterness and disillusions End quotes Man of Sorrows it seems as a brutal example of blending theatrical props such as masks with something very tangible and emotional through paint but even so as we'll now seeing the next paintings this is still only scratching the surface this painting considered to be James enzor's most well-known after Christ's entry into Brussels is titled the Intrigue completed in 1890. here we're presented with a gathering of people pressing in close to a couple in the center although their body language appears to be jovial you can't help but feel a sense of unease it is not exactly the happy social occasion that it alludes to be but you can't quite put your finger on it There is almost the impression that there is a threat emanating from the surrounding figures disguised as apparent appreciation for the couple in the middle it's been theorized many times that this painting represents Enzo's sister and her husband who happened to be Chinese unfortunately there was much gossip and many Whispers that stemmed from their marriage as it was considered quite strange for two people from different cultures to marry each other back then although this is probably unlikely as Enzo's sister did not marry until two years after his painting was completed but in any case an uneasy feeling still arises from these figures they appear to almost be drunk and disorderly and there's a strange appearance of a skull-like face that enters the scene from the right according to the book enzor by Ulrich Bex Maloney the skull figure may be a portrayal of death who is either joining in with the party or watching quietly from the sidelines as a reminder of its fleetingness Clues to whether or not this is death represented here can be found in his later work with very similar themes and imagery titled death and The Masks completed in 1897. except this time death is positioned as a central focus and the masqueraders are huddling up close to him as he holds the lamp of life in his left hand much like the bizarre elongated face above him death and the Intrigue is rendered in a flat planar way are these two characters simply observers of a conspiracy or are they may be accomplices or even instigators is the groom being protected from the encroaching Crowd by the bride or has he been gently shoved by her into what she must know is his fate it is possible even the artist himself lurks behind the mask more or less helplessly subject of a mocking and practical joking of those around him in any case masks of always throughout history provided wearers an opportunity to temporarily live a life anonymously or to act out their wildest sometimes even their darkest fantasies without the risk of their normal everyday identity to be associated so in many respects the mask hides the face as well as transforms it it's not only danced to transform the wearer but also both literally and figuratively to hide the true face of a wearer and Enzo's mask paintings such as the Intrigue certainly provided him with an opportunity to confront an arduous reality with a fantasy world of his own it evokes so many feelings of mockery contempt and hypocrisy addressing in a radical way the situation of an unsuccessful artist and his precarious position within Society could these be a portrayal of his Austen neighbors also masking their true thoughts about him with false faces could that be the feeling of unease he wanted to recreate for the viewer all we can really do is speculate and stare right back [Music] whilst on the subjects of skulls and death this might be a good time to take a closer look at one of Enzo's most favored subjects for his paintings aside from masks which was figures represented as skeletons or skeletal beings his fascination with this Motif can be understood through various lenses encompassing social psychological and artistic perspectives in many ways enzors incorporation of skeletons and his Arts can be seen as a symbolic representation of the impermanence and mortality of human life skeletons serve as a reminder of the inevitable fate that awaits us all this symbolism is deeply rooted in the societal context of ensel's time marked by significant shifts and challenges including industrialization political turmoil and cultural Transformations a theme that seems strong in his self-portrait titled the skeleton painter completed in 1896 with him displaying himself painting on his skull decorated easel with a skeletal body to me it feels like Enzo is truly captivated by his own mortality or at least consciously aware of it perhaps symbolizing his own impermanence alongside the one thing that he believes can be permanent the Legacy he wished that his Arts would leave behind it should be noted that the late 19th century was a period of upheaval and change in Europe where traditional beliefs and values were being questioned and traditional hierarchies were being challenged Enzo's use of skeletons may be viewed as a commentary on the Decay and fragility of established societal structures and norms he could have been expressing disillusionments with the values of azira and highlighting the underlying emptiness or hollowness he perceived in society or at times even the complete absurdity of it including within the art world for example when observing his painting titled skeletons fighting over a pickled herring completed in 1891 it is widely believed that Enzo has represented himself in the painting as the Herring basically being torn apart in the jaws of two art critics after receiving negative responses to his work it gives off the impression of being both grotesque and humorous as well as an idea as to what Enzo thought about their critiques or there is also a possibility that these two skeletons are each trying to pull enzor in different directions trying to sway him to their own beliefs he's trying to convince him of what is right and wrong but either way their impermanence is plain to see rendering their efforts to be nothing more than a vicious cycle the presence of skeletons and Enzo's art could also be a reflection of his psychological preoccupations the use of Macabre imagery including skeletons suggest an interest in the darker aspects of human existence and the human psyche artists often use such symbolism to delve into the human subconscious and bring four themes of mortality fear and existential contemplation given what we already know of his personality so far the skeletons and Enzo's work may have represented his introspective exploration of his own fears mortality anxieties or observations of a human condition and the existential aspects of life the painting titles skeletons warming themselves completed in 1889 combines both the symbolism of skeletons with other quite conspicuous motifs and zores positioned a group of skeletons dressed in clothing around a stove on which is written Panda fur and underneath it on trovarez meaning in English no fire will he find any tomorrow therefore there is a strong impression that although they have managed to totter to the stove the skeletons discover that both the fire and the lamp have gone out with their attempts to warn themselves proving to be futile nearby you may have already noticed the sight of a pallet and brush a violin and the lamp that I mentioned which experts believe May symbolize Enzo's appreciation for art music and literature in which case the scene could be a representation of his tastes and creativity being once again harshly misunderstood with these skeletons the busy models for his work taking a break from their duties in the studio to continue living out their modest lives poor without patronage and neglect it perhaps for no fire comments could be reinterpreted as no luck this time but maybe tomorrow will be better incorporating skeletons into his art in such a way also allowed ensor to challenge artistic conventions and Norms prevalent during his time enabling him to bring an element of shock and provocation into his work skeletons were after all an unconventional subject in arts during Enzo's era their use could have been a deliberate departure from conventional themes and a way to generate Intrigue and controversy making his art stand out and gain attention having said that though in the late 19th century there was a Resurgence of interest in the Macabre the occult and the grotesque in art and literature influential works like Edgar Allan Poe's macarp tales and Charles bodila's poetry may have influenced Denzel's artistic Direction the tradition of vinita's paintings popular in the 16th and 17th centuries often featured symbols of death and Decay to convey the transient nature of life and material wealth and saw skeleton paintings might have been a modern reinterpretation of this tradition infused with this Unique Style and message this dedication to the darker side of life and the irrationality of human behavior can be noticed in many of his paintings but the one great example that I often come across when exploring this side of Enzo's personality is titled skeletons fighting over a dead man completed in 1891. during this period in Enzo's life he was beginning to produce a regular style of more graphic and narrative Works than he had made previously it seems he was eager to tell stories of an often grotesque on the carb turn and this painting is certainly a case in point there are of course different interpretations of what this imagery means ranging from enzors and bitterment view of his critics again where he is the powerless prize in the middle there is even a theory on Wikipedia that these two skeletons represent Enzo's wife and his mistress and he is a helpless body over which they fight but I personally lean more towards another take here we're presented with a colorful and Mindless display of a confrontation between two ragged figures in eccentric costumes fighting with brooms and umbrellas over a dead body on the floor while another body hangs in the Middle with the French word Siver meaning stew in English meanwhile on the far left and Far Right ends of a stage are groups of mass faces watching the performance in silence again much like the Intrigue the different expressions of The Masks display varying emotions including anger curiosity shock and Malice though what makes it unsettling is we hardly know from our perspective if these figures are living people or skeletons themselves in Disguise attempting to trick us into believing that they are living flesh and blood but it's interesting how Enzo also Blends playful humor with all this morbidity it's theorized that these skeletons wearing everyday clothing fighting and living normally amongst humans is a depiction of death itself laughing to our face as if saying you can't avoid me so embrace me however Enzo's view on death in this work is neither sad nor fearful as someone who had such an awareness of death and impermanence he instead is representing death as simply Inseparable from The Hectic and sometimes ludicrous Carnival of life in other words regardless of how often individuals claim quarrel tug and pull over how life should work what is right and wrong and so on death always interrupts that which we think is solid or here to stay what we do in life should be in Pursuit of Happiness and fulfillment rather than expectations or opinions of others although some things in his art have rightfully remained a mystery at least one important thing has been determined which is at James ensel's wish for his art to one day leave a lasting Legacy did in fact come true the influence of his work cannot be underappreciated as historically and Zora is considered to be an innovator defined by his style use of symbolism and satire not to mention his influence on expressionism surrealism and Modern Art his rejection of artistic conventions and exploration of human psyche continues to resonate with artists and audiences making him a pivotal figure in the evolution of art within the late 19th and early 20th centuries his use of color and the emotional intensity of his Works paid for way for expressionist and surrealist movements artists such as George glass and Felix Nussbaum were few among many inspired by ensor's work he is celebrated as a national treasure in Belgium and is influence on subsequent Belgian artists is palpable the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Brussels houses a significant collection of Enzo's works and his impact on Belgian culture and art remains deeply ingrained in the nation's artistic identity as is the unfortunate case with many creatives time and time again during his life it was seldom seen as a genius and more as an outcast with art considered to be unpleasant or vulgar though at least in time whether he truly foresaw it or not his Arts finally garnered the appreciation it deserves giving us a wondrous view of the world through his own eyes as something to shock us humor Us or maybe somewhere in between [Music] thank you for watching this video I hope you found it interesting again if you'd like to see more mini documentaries from me on dark and strange artwork please be sure to subscribe and ring the notification Bell and by all means please let me know in the comments below who you'd like me to cover in a future video before I go is that time again for artist's Corner this is where I'd like to quickly share some artwork sent to me by one of my viewers and today I'm excited to share the artwork of Vincent maslowski born and raised in Milwaukee Wisconsin Vincent spent most of his time fiddling about with notebook doodling as well as writing shooting and editing 2D stop-motion animations and zero budget short films he later pursued a BFA at the University of wisconsin-milwaukee's Peck school of the arts program where he majored in film and graduated in 2013. largely self-taught Vincent is often working on eccentrically colorful and surrealistic abstract paintings and portraits creating equally as odd and Darkly comedic animated short films dabbling and tailoring and baking pies he recently completed his debut feature film internal Flash in 2022 a bizarre horror comedy partly intended as a parody of his previously micro budget Works whether or not he succeeded is up to the audience I personally love how gross and fleshy his paintings are yet they also burst with colorful energy and have a tongue-in-cheek humor to them at times sometimes you're not quite sure what you're looking at but you can't help but be sucked into the insanity and ride along with it if you do want to ride along with this art I urge you to check out the links you see here and in the description below and showing some support and keep up with his new projects if you're also an artist watching and thinking you deserve a spot in one of my videos I'd love to hear from you please send me an email to blindsweller gmail.com or feel free to reach out to me on Instagram please also join the blind dwellers Art Club on Discord where you can join the creative Community to show your work learn some new tips or even ask me a question I'd love to see you there finally as always a huge thank you to all of my channel members and patrons and a special shout out to all of my top tier donators Vlad SIV Mrs kalkal Tyler Butler Harley Raven Eric lamarca Dave MC molotel John Allen the new ongoing 24 equator Mark can be Lee Flowers Calvin Kai akaiser Carol H Charlie sanchezi Fernando achicardo large fatty or big Chad and Port Pereira see you in the next video soon then everyone keep being creative and bye for now