Understanding Surrealism | Art History 101 

I had art history in school and I hated it until my last year of school. I’ve been so obsessed with it since then! Surrealism and the Renaissance are my favourite art periods everrr

I’ve been obsessed with art video essays for a little while, and I must say: this is absolutely the best one. Most of video essays about art are monotone and academic, but this video is gripping, fun and educational. Well done!

When I was young I was fascinated but didn't understand the power of our unconscious mind. Art is truly a mystery yet it brings us to get to know more of the unknown. Now I get it. Thank you for making it funny and easy to understand. Art makes the world a better place... ;)

Reading Dali's biography and being heavily influenced by him is what made me stop using so many drugs. I thought i needed them to make my art expand and grow...then I read how he hated drugs.

I don't think surrealism is trying to escape reality, i think they just liked exploring the weirdness of the subconscious mind, because its really interesting.

Studying surrealism for a video essay about surrealist elements in Alice in Wonderland versus the new Studio Ghibli movie and this is is quality content, so funny, entertaining, and informative. I would’ve loved to have a teacher like you!!

It’s 3:43am in the morning and I’m up studying surrealism and I must say this video really made my night. You are such a wonderful speaker! I got a good laugh and a lot of knowledge here! Thank you sister! ♥️✨

My god I loved this, you should dive into other genres of art too. I appreciate the humor and opinion you had on the artists work

What really is underrated about Dali is his consummate skill as a painter,and how his technique is half ultrarealism,half fantasy. When photography was invented,artists felt to a degree that the purpose of artwork,depicting reality,was taken away. Dali used his virtuosic skill in the service of photographic depiction of dreams.which cannot be photographed.

I researched about this once and found that dadaism actually came before surrealism. Dadaism--which was basically shitposting, was all the rage back then until this one guy said an art piece wasn't "dada" enough like it had an actual definition other than shitposting, then it gave birth to surrealism because now they finally had standards to meet again, idk. Instead of just shitposting, they wanted to have form strict form again without it being super strict, just strict enough to make sure "you get it from the subconscious". But I could be misunderstanding it.

Awesome video, I loved it. I’m an artist myself so this sort of thing informs my artwork personally. The casual tone actually helped me learn some things I did not catch from other sources dealing with the same information. Keep up the good work!

One of my art tutors (who also taught art history) once said he didn’t consider surrealism a significant art movement because it was all about image making… I don’t care. Surrealism is a form of escapism for me and I need it in my life

Thank you for the reminder to the new minds about the history of amusing but powerful way of expression, one must not be but a copy but as one who is free to be and do anything. soundful voice of yours.

I wish I had your videos when I did Art in high school. It’s everything I’ve always complained my classes weren’t.

As a teacher (economics, not art 😂), I'm really happy to have found this video! This is the best art class I've ever listened to!! 🔥🔥

Great work! Thank you for the video :) I am a film major and stuck with a broken hip at the moment and with my free time I am trying to educate myself with artists outside of the film industry. This was very informative and surrealism is a definite attraction for me, I really like Japanese culture and when I saw some of Kuniyoshi Utugawa's work from the 1800's it really opened my eyes to "Surrealism" in art and how it is not just a newer type thing, like 90's MTV Liquid Television for example. It is so cool to see that artist's minds have always gone into these surreal perspectives long before we could attribute it to the technology boom or LSD as a factor. Look forward to watching more of your videos!

Can we all finally get on the same page that the drooping timepieces in Dali’s picture are “soft watches”, and not “melting clocks”? Clocks don’t have winders. Dali himself even called them soft watches.

I took my son to the Dali in St. Petersburg, FL and we were blessed enough to go while masterpieces were on display. He was so moved he cried, and that moment I knew he got why I love Dali.

This was such an informative video and so interesting. I can tell you are a wonderful teacher. Your students are lucky to have you. Please do more of these!

Would love to see more videos like this from you! Really enjoyed it :) Thank you!

I love how you narrate the story, so chilled - so dry lol I LOVE IT!!! 😂❤️❤️❤️

The family griffin and the sphinx come to mind as early surrealist images. Fascinating.

I would possibly consider jung to be more of an influence than freud during this period, particularly as it's his work that largely illuminated the modern subconscious and pulled away from freud's belief that the subconscious was more akin to a recycling bin and that everything was based in sex which was fundamentally based in a desire for paternal incest. Yeah. Jung developed what we understand today, how individuals interpret symbols individualistically and that the neurosis and dreams are also subjective and need to be analyzed as a body with the individual's interpretations of these symbols. His book "The Red Book" is a thorough exploration of his subconscious is has been inspirational to most abstract in a way or another. Jung had also split from Freud around 1913 and started publishing his own works, the interpretation of dreams was published in 1899, not to say it wasn't influential, but Jung would've been much more modern and progressive, actively releasing works on the subconscious, before, during and after the surrealist movement. Considering both their works again as well, I really do not see Freud being the first that most would turn to, certainly not who they would stay on with Jung being so closely associated and releasing more relevant work. He stayed primarily in the subconscious for most of his work, and his focus was on the symbolic and universal aspects that bound the collective unconscious of man. That sounds faaaar more like what these surrealists are reaching towards than anything Freud ever wrote. I've also seen Freud credited but I genuinely find it hard to believe Jung was not the intellectual spearheading this ideological shift to symbols in the academic realm.

I've always appreciated the work of Dali. During the 1960s, I got deep into the work of Rick Griffin, Victor Moscoso, Stanley Mouse, Ed Roth, Peter Max, et al. Dali fit right into the 1960s like hands into a glove.

Thank you for this very informational video! At first I thought I wouldn't be able to watch all twenty minutes but the content was so interesting and the way you presented all these artists, their works and their backstories was fun and kept me focused.

I'm an art teacher and this was an awesome video! I didn't know Remedios Varo or her work and I really love it, I'm going to look more into her. Very informative video and your sense of humour is a great light touch on how silly and playful Surrealist artwork and art expression can be. =)

i like your sassy attitude! i’m finding works of art to put in my house, because i don’t understand art at all and i want to get into it. i’m big into music and aware of my illiteracy when it comes to paintings.

I see a lot of this type of art in journaling in present day! Love it!

This video is so informative and entertaining! I enjoyed watching ur video so much! Even a year after its release! Thank you for this! ❤️

As sponsor of Spanish National Honor Society, I and my students were honored with a tour of Dalí museum, St. Petersburg, Florida. The docent knew him personally and spoke a great deal about his scientific knowledge. Not just psychology, especially Quantum Physics, which are detailed in his painting and sculpture.

I love you Jessica! You have been so helpful to me with your tutorial videos. I am a new artist and it’s so satisfying to find someone who can help me so much!

I have loved the women surrealist artists whom i discovered throughout my time in Art college 30 years ago.Remedios Varo Leonor Fini Leonora Carrington the fashion designer Elsa Sciaperreli worked alongside Dali a few times and Lee Miller(a very talented photographer in her own right)was in a relationship with Man Ray .Very interesting times for artists.Frida Khalo of course!

I have been teaching this to my year 9 group who are almost 14. They love it!

Absolutely loved this video! 💗 brought me back to my art history class

Found this video and then realized it was you! I follow your tutorials. This was so fun and interesting. Would be great to see more art history from various periods. Maybe the renaissance? I love the way you narrate 😁

Wow we need more of this! Salvador Dali opened my eyes to the art world

Phenomenal , A realistic view to how art is it's own experience and energy.

I like that you really seem Invested in the Topic and show it in a fun way. Great Video

Really great video. Thank you madam! 👍Always been drawn to surrealism for some reason.

Really a brief video of surrealism yet full of knowledge. Thank you

Really enjoyed this video. It makes me miss my art history classes and wish you were the instructor.

GREAT VIDEO. Please make more like this about other art styles; you're a splendid explainer :)

LOVED it!!! EXCELLENT presentation my dear, @Jescia Hopper! Your whimsical lovely vernacular is fully appropriate when presenting Surrealism. And thank you very much for such a perfect video to watch with dinner. AND you ignited a spark in me; in other words, after Christmas I'm FINALLY going to treat myself to a visit to the Salvador Dali museum which is right here in St. Petersburg, Florida! I think it's a mere 15 minute drive. I've been meaning to go there since I first moved to St. Pete 7 yrs ago. I also want to visit the Dale Chihuly glass art museum, also here in St. Pete. I'm originally from the Seattle area, as is Dale Chihuly being the premier glass artist pioneer, from Pilchuck glass studios. In my opinion glass can be worked into the most breathtaking items.

My absolute favourite artist of all time is the genius that was Salvador Dali, incredible imagination and mind blowing images❤️

surrealism is a very interesting form of art and you presented it very well that my curiosity sky rocketed even more about this genre. thank you so much for this video

I don't even do art or any kind like that, yet this video is still so interesting, I actually use it for English listening practice and it's doing fantastic

LOVED THIS !! Jescia is BUZZING !!

This video is is outstanding. Thank you very much for sharing.

Omg can you please make a video on Expressionism & Abstract art? I would love to watch it because this video essay was so enjoyable!! Great work and it's helped me alot in understanding art history! Thank you for your content🙌🏽

Thank you. You're a wonderful teacher

Very good video, as for the art style, I think it's weird, and imaginative, colorful at times, but also whimsical.

Great video. Thank you for sharing your knowledge of Surrealism.

Art teacher here! I love this! You make this so easy to follow and understand! I love the humor and the choice of artwork. I would love to show this to my students but can because I the work by Bosch (The garden of Earthly Delights) shows nudity. Please let me know if you ever edit that out. I am sure many of us would use this video in its entirety then.

Thank you for the work you have put into this video!

Nice video. I've always liked surrealistic art. You made some good selections to review and you have a pleasant narrating voice.

Really enjoyed this video. I love surrealism 😊

This was wonderfully done, thank you! ♥️

I’ve always loved surrealism and now I know why - thank you so much for taking the time to make this vid you have a gift ✨🙌

Nice job lots of examples and cute style of presenting.😊

Great explanation of surrealism! I’m sharing with my Facebook group!

Literally you made art history actually interesting to listen to and watch. Great video!

13:18 I have a print of “The Wounded Deer” framed on my wall. Right next to it hangs another framed print of a Frida Kahlo painting called “The Dream (The Bed)” Love her stuff. Her story was absolutely tragic, and yet she was such a strong and brilliant person.

great video. I love your humor...made learning more fun.

This video was so fun to watch

Thanks! great explanation

This video is so awesome and enjoyable.

What an amazing and insightful video!

This video was done so well, thank you so much

Remedios Varo is one of my favorite artists!

This is amazing thank you for making this video

Thank you! Loved it.

I would go to love to get coffee and talk about art with you. As a historian and speaking to someone who enjoys art and includes historical dates on the art pieces is very significant!! Great job, agilely down!!:)

I was hoping you would've touched on some of Storm Thorgerson's work. So many iconic album covers! Great video though, I really enjoyed it.

This was so much fun !!!!

great video! thankyou for all the information :)

Absolutely great video thank you

I loved this video!

I loved art, i loved art class! But not because of being fascinated to art or felt anything i just liked the nice cold AC in the art room and being able to play . Until i got to middle school and it was still the same but after changing teachers i think i really liked art and not just for the cold AC i started to like reading or searching on the history on onomatopoeia which was our first topic and it was all ok until he introduced surrealism. We havent even started lesrning about it snd once j saw the pictures and everything i am hooked

Amazing video thank you

Fabulously informative thank you x

Beautiful presentation

Excellent video!

Great video! ❤️

Very informative and helpful! thank you for sharing! :))

First time in who knows how long that I watch an entire video without skipping through it. This is so dope, thank you!!

Fantastic, thank you!

Thanks, very entertaining and educational

Thank you Jescia, I really love this video. I love draw and also I love history. This video combines both.

Excellent presentation.

This was really helpful, thank you

i think surrealism art can help with my lack of imagination and creativity. I lost interest in art mainly bc of school, art school. Being forced to paint realistic art is so tiring, i want to draw smtn with my own ideas the problem is im tired and dont have creativity. . . thank u for this video

Amé tu video!!! Pronuncias muy bien el español.

Great video, glad I found your channel. Dali, Kahlo, and Magritte are my favorite surrealists.

New favourite channel? New favourite channel.

Loved this

Very interesting and informative video thanks

This is exceptional! Cant wait to show this to my art students. I like how you infuse humor into the lecture!

Love this 😍

This is amazing

Thank you for the video!