Why Are Creepy Paintings So Damn Popular?

After many suggestions from viewers to cover dystopian surrealist painter Zdzisław Beksiński, I decided to write this video essay. From my most watched video on Jan Matejko’s Stańczyk painting to other dark and horrifying works like Odilon Redon’s Noirs, I examine the role of these dark, creepy, and ominous paintings. Herbert Read claims that art has been mainly done in a religious lens, to unify and create a community-feeling. But straying from religious works like those of Peter Paul Rubens or even Da Vinci’s Last Supper, how do Beksinski’s paintings, along with other sinister and dark paintings convey this feeling? What is the role of the artist? What are these paintings ultimately achieving? As always, to continue the conversation, I will be live on KZbin later today at 2pm EST and 11am PST. Join me then with your questions and comments.
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[@TheCanvasArtHistory]

The stream is earlier this time! 11am PST, 2pm EST! Catch you there!!

[@emmanuelrainville8244]

Buddy, you dropped that so casually, but don’t worry. I WILL WAIT as long as you need to publish that video on Zdzisław Beksiński ♥️ your work is amazing, keep going!

[@ou4534]

Awesome video ✌️

[@airtale8725]

Actually ancient arts might've a bltantly obvious function and weren't spiritual at all, but served as mediums of teaching and reference when verbal descriptions weren't articulate enough yet or if communities teached themselves.

[@evo2542]

Their appeal ranges from 'It just looks cool" to "It correctly portrays my inner turmoil".

[@hawk0485]

Maybe people are drawn to investigate creepy things, because they evoke both fear and curiosity and because this particular combination of emotions often leads to discovery and valuable insights so we are wired to seek out creepy things. Revealing potential threats is a valuable skill for a caveman and creepyness is a pointer to a lurking threat.

[@nowhereman6019]

Beksinski's Untitled 1984, which I affectionately call "The Embrace", in which two emaciated skeletal figures tightly holding one another while sitting in a hazey orange environment, touches deeply into my very being. The two wrap their arms and legs around one another so hard to the point that they press into the little flesh they have left. They bury their faces into each other, hiding away from the pain and horror, softly and affectionately caressing one another's heads in their hands. They are desperate to find comfort in one another, and to give it in kind, a hopeless urge to hide away from the hell they are in and to care for the one you love. There's this incredibly deep love communicated within this embrace, love found in the most horrific of circumstances and sought in the one you cherish the most, as well as the desire to give that love to them and to comfort them regardless of your own pain.

[@aptdccvii]

this was so beautifully written, love this

[@dedofspace]

I used that artwork in highschool as inspiration for a piece I had to do fo class. I made a simialr piece but with one head being a skull. I added photographs I took of rather disturbing yet difficult to understand subjects. I used the piece as a way to display finding comfort in your own mental illness, even though it's slowly killing you or not as kind as you think. I looked a lot into Beksiński that year and it's not a surprise I was deep in my own mental illness at the time

[@thesilentcomposer1278]

I personally find “creepy” paintings comforting. I suffer from two personality disorders. Many “creepy” paintings reflect how my mental illnesses make me feel inside and it soothes me to see that these artists potentially shared and understood these feelings.

[@amazeus1980]

Aren’t you simply feeling other beings or energies which you think are you? ;)

[@gayhitler4674]

I don't believe in personality disorders.....

[@danieldelonge6002]

..everything has been thought of before..

[@Curtiswashere]

"Art is to comfort the disturbed, and to disturb the comfortable."

[@amazeus1980]

@@Curtiswashere I agree...art should be controversial!!! ...and it is like life itself is...sometimes full of joy and sometimes ugly...that is life. I'm not a fan of that kind of art but I'm myself an artist and I think that..this kind of art is simply another/alternative communication channel, because other channels have failed. It is generally expression of fear...from my perspective. Generalising of course but lets be honest...people deny what we share with them about how we feel inside. Some really dark minds would not even share how they feel because they will be pushed away straight away...that art helps in self expression and all of us don't like to keep things inside...we want to express them! We also live in a society full of facades, denial...and how differently would you express yourself really?...in that kind of societal environment. I think that many choose aggression, violence but...art is a better way to communicate with the outside world what we really feel...and all of us have some dark side in us...anyway.

[@katethegoat7507]

I feel like a lot of art out there can be appreciated despite its simple messaging just in the same way we appreciate music. Do you feel disappointed when an orchestral piece doesn't communicate anything other than a feeling? No. Then why would you be disappointed if the same happens on a visual medium?

[@dontpanic5278]

Also, these feelings aren't necessarily "simple" or easy to evoke. It's almost easier sometimes to create art that _appears_ to have a deeper message by including common symbolism and loaded subjects, or intentionally making a painting cryptic to make it appear complex. You can make it _seem_ meaningful quite easily. When depicting feelings however, it's a lot harder since you can't just rely on symbolism or intellectual thought: it's something you feel in your spine. It's a kneejerk reaction. It's more abstract, and harder to put into words.

[@henryambrose8607]

I think the purest kind of art is that which communicates only emotion. If it requires explanation outside of the work itself it's less interesting to me. This channel's style of analysis isn't how I personally engage with art, but it's still interesting and very well presented, so I enjoy the videos regardless.

[@Rooftopaccessorizer]

i agree. im an artist and i make art purely to explore ideas and because its meditative. i enjoy others art purely for the aesthetic and inspiration. I actually loath art critics and art history in general because alot of them just like to hear themselves talk and dont make art themselves and yet see fit to make all kind of grandiose statements about the intentions of an artist or the value of a particular work. i think with creepy art, people just enjoy it for the vibes, just like with pop music or any other genre of entertainment.

[@titltic4907]

I find that creepy art has a much easier time invoking stronger emotions in individuals, who might not be as enthusiastic when it comes to art and therefore it’s highly appreciated all around the world because the majority finds it invoking.

[@radian1243]

Recently went to a Beksiński exhibition and LOVED it! So glad you mentioned him, I'd love to see a full video. It is such a shame that he died from the hands of petty thieves who did not know who they were dealing with....

[@Marrro]

In my case, my fascination with Beksinski's work lies more not in the subject matter of the works but in the incredible technique of their execution. Reproductions may not do it justice but the level of detail in his works is breathtaking.... I am interested in 3D graphics and I have the impression that he invented it 20 years earlier....

[@le2382]

For me the appeal of so-called creepy or unsettling art stems from mental health issues. I have been through a number of traumatic experiences that have left me with PTSD, depression and anxiety and I find that this type of art depicts my inner state. I make my own “creepy” paintings too, which are often depicting my nightmares, resolving a lot of my internal struggles.

[@MickeysGrenade]

Like wht

[@refugeinthewind]

And, the ability to connect with, relate to, our deeper, darker nature without causing material harm is liberating. To realize that others share this smooths the sharp edges of alienation. Thank you so much, Shawn. Now going to Patreon to watch again and increase my contribution. The Canvas is my "Sunday sermon." 🙏

[@lyxthen]

I think the best personification of this is Junji Ito. While there is a lot of thematic weight to his work, most of what he does and his process can be reduced to "man, wouldn't that be a weird fucked up thing?" and then we developed the messages from there. I guess you could also see it as a way to express morbid curiosity, to indulge in those things we find appealing but that are shamed by society. Like, I love gorey art, but if I saw a corpse I'm sure I'd vomit. We are exploring those emotions and experiences in a "safe" environment, where they can't hurt us.

[@nakenmil]

I will say this: I'm not say if "creppy art says something" or not, but I find that a lot of "creepy art" plays around a lot with colors, perspective, depth of field, scale, and perhaps most significantly, texture. It's always sorta captivating to look at how an artist has distorted a face and added onto it a texture that does not belong on skin, or how they've taken something an made its proportions immense until it looms threateningly over the foreground. It's just... neat?

[@hellbound_psyker]

I think your critiques of 'creepy art' are kind of missing what the draw is. Dark art is not about community because it's about what's inside of a person. It speaks to the Jungian shadow we all have and puts our deepest fears on display and forces us to confront them. People like it for the same reason we like horror movies and true crime, it's about what's in the depths of our minds and interacting with those darker things in a controlled environment. I am an artist who mostly works with horror and surrealism and these are some of the reasons why I make what I make. Quite frankly? Sometimes people like to be disturbed. It's not a vapid or meaningless drive like you seem to make it out to be. It's an important aspect of the human experience.

[@KrazyKaiser]

I think you are profoundly wrong about the idea that creepy art "isn't saying anything", that's such a strange take to have. I also have to question where exactly you draw the line at classifying something as "creepy" art, because I find a lot of Dali paintings to be deeply unsettling.

[@cheesecake106]

I'm glad someone said this

[@sincerelysomber5726]

Feeling like it might've been more personal rather than objective video lol

[@rodrigocoockiemonster4460]

Personally it stucks to me as a stupid question, there's nothing more universal than fear, death and suffering

[@binksterb]

You have the best definition of abstract art I have seen so far.

[@Lunch_Meat]

Like many people here, I fell into a creepy art phase due to growing up in a traumatic household. Same with my love of creepy stories, movies, and music. That being said, I think that puts me at a unique position for understanding why creepy art is so popular in, not because of my own reasons for liking it, but because of what it took to grow out of liking it. I think that we live in a world that is experiencing a unique level of trauma and a unique level of being informed on all that trauma and how it's happening all the time. Unlike most people who see us having a mental health crisis due to this, I think we are having a philosophical crisis due to this. This is why so many people bounce from one "self help" plan to another and why somethings work for some people but other things work for others. Creepy art captures not just the "feeling" of darkness, but the philosophical notions of darkness. Because of that, you can relate to it no matter how much trauma you personally have been through or how mentally ill you personally are. You see it in the world all the time regardless and it makes a lasting impression. There is still human community but it is humanity itself. All our best and all our worst. Saints and beasts. This is a heavy philosophical notions and, sadly, our "thinkers" haven't kept up to the task of talking about it. But our art has.

[@Liboo52]

The Garden of Earthly Delights by Bosch is the perfect blend between community religious feeling and individualistic creepiness

[@antoinepetrov]

I believe this is one of the best videos on this channel (and I've seen them all). It explores all types of art, all eras, and finally lands in the present. So perfect.

[@temporoboto]

"creepy/dark" art is still a very niche genre, not as popular to the general public as one might think.

[@KrazyKaiser]

Yeah, I think this is VERY true, it's far less popular than it's being made out to be in this video IMO.

[@halguy5745]

nowdays everything can be popular in it's tiny online niche, have a cult following and be complete unknown to the general public

[@RoseProseFroze]

Interestingly your analysis on why creepy art is popular also could explain fan art popularity. Fandom=community a lot these days.

[@avosmash2121]

I honestly always held the thought that in a sense, the religious art and mythology based art, but especially any art that is denoted as "classical", that is, depictions of myths and tales/religious fables and allegories by primarily people who never actually shared in those cultures of yore or believed in pagan religions of the ancient Greeks or Minoans or Carthagians or the ancient Catholics and still would depict lavish portrayals of their characters and stories, are sort of "fan art" and community in a sense. Nobody in Botticelli's time was likely keeping a real temple to the goddess of Fertility/Beauty Isis, or Venus, but that didn't stop him or thpusands of academics from depicting her and the trademark story of her birth from the sea. And it is not likely every painter of Adam and Eve of antiquity was a devout religous person, or working under commission for a church with the express purpose of showing scenes of the Bible in order to teach and inspire the faith of the flock. A majority would just....know the meanings of these scenes and just use it as a good excuse to study anatomy, light, and to tell an intereting new interpretative take on an archetype we all know well by now. Is this not too different for any fan artist who say decides to paint Goku in a bizarre unique style, or someone explodes what would the figures of Joker and Batman, the two modern symbolic embodiments of Chaotic Evil and Logical Justice, as women instead of men? When a person creates an OC based on some popular franchise, even though we may be may not laugh or enjoy the work as a whole, regardless of the idea's quality or that person's ability to pull it off in appealing ways that the viewer approves of, that fandom OC is still a person's literal self portrait in a sense, self insert of their idealized self or a piece of their unconscious and imagination inserted into a place where it was never expected to be. Someone has taken the psyche of another creator and pushed in their own, and what determines how much that PC or new interpretative take resonates with the fandom, is when we analyze the question "how well or interestingly does THIS persons' value system and ideals and imaginative psyche enhance or rethink the original source material and remind me why I am so connected to the ideas behind it/this community?" When I look at some kid's art of Spiderman or Undertale, I am not just looking at a mechanical act, not just an amateur artist parroting back something they saw, just because, it's USUALLY art that was made to display how THIS piece of media created a heartfelt emotion in the fan, strong enough it absorbed their very identity and energy and time to make them want to share their connection to that media and that media's fandom, its community, or 'religion' as it were, WITH YOU. Fan art is in a way, like religion art, because most of the time, it subconsciously at least, is saying 'this content is so vastly special to me, for whatever reasons, that I had to express myself within it on its own specific niche terms and I want YOU to both REOCGNIZE and absorb all those niche terms, perhaps even celebrate them/become interested into the original source material as much as I am, YOURSELF."

[@CT7056]

Your videos always enlighten me at the time when I need it the most.

[@ghosted0352]

Thanks for opening my mind to the concept in the closing statements of this video... I hadn't thought about it like that before... and I agree.

[@HannaARTzink]

I thoroughly enjoy your channel, your narrative is well thought of and greatly illustrated. A treat.

[@rika8484]

This guy: pronounces all the words as correctly as he can with accents Also this guy: Zdz... Zdzisław Beksiński 😵‍💫

[@evo2542]

Zzzz.....Zzzz... ZDDF ADOF ASJ FIOS FSZ FDAS ZZZZINSKI

[@PunzL]

I appreciate people who at least try to pronounce a foreign word/name properly unlike those who couldn't even be bothered to replicate the pronunciation or straight up bastardize it with their pathetic monolinggual mouth

[@democratictotalitariansoci1462]

if you want to pronounce his name correct, it's Zdjislaw Bekshinski.

[@caitlinpenny7412]

As a professional artists myself I feel stuck b/w too strong pulls. A desire to express and a desire to communicate. My work almost exclusively deals with environmental issues, an issue that perhaps could inspire a “community feeling” but its a course w/o much room for myself. I often feel hopeless and angry about the state of the environment but making work depicting that inner angst will not necessarily inspire ppl to change and on a practical note probably wont sell. This in turn causes more angst b/c I am stuck inside the economic system that has played a large role in causing the current environmental catastrophe. It would interesting to see a video covering that problem, of making money vs making art. Believe me art fairs are full of so called Art that serves no purpose but to match one’s sofa and boost the buyers sense of self worth by being the proud owner of an expensive but tacky work of art.

[@nikosorf4250]

Truly my thoughts, i find a big disconnect when it comes to contemporary art that deals with social issues, issues of the masses, when the piece itself is simply gonna end up in a gallery and get bought for a rich guy to do his signaling "i care for this issue" As artists we need a deeper reason or connection for our creations and it's hard to keep that honesty with the self alive when the artistic reason/intention contradicts the material destination of our work

[@thesilentcomposer1278]

Great video as always! Your use of music and visuals really helps to - pardon the pun - illustrate your point. Keep it up :)

[@zunch6194]

This video made me think alot, thank you for letting me to see this!

[@TheUndergoundMan]

Creepy art often explores aspects of the human psyche, such as fears, anxieties, and the unknown. It can serve as a mirror to our inner thoughts and emotions. Creepy paintings often tell stories or convey ideas that aren't immediately apparent. Viewers may be drawn to deciphering the hidden meanings or narratives within the artwork, adding an element of intellectual engagement. It challenges conventional aesthetics and explores the darker or more mysterious aspects of human existence, offering a departure from the everyday.

[@ciel001]

Few days ago I was looking through Polish art history on google... don't even know how I started doing it, i think i was just curious about it and looked it, and so I stumbled upon Beksinski; which soon became my favorite polish artist after a bunch of researching. And now, you make this video, starting it with Beksinski, lol. I know he's pretty damn popular, but I haven't heard of him until I searched about polish art, but ever since then, I see his name more and more frequently

[@AmorSciendi]

Thanks.for this. I'm a big believer in the role of art to create relationships in the world and this video put a whole new frame around that concept for me. Also, thanks for the shout out at the end!

[@artbyty]

Loved this video thanks! I agree with you that this type of art feels somewhat shallow or merely sensationalism, but you make some great points.

[@roberthornack1692]

I think the depiction of barren landscapes & a dismal future with tormented bodies, perfectly describes our situation.

[@immanuel7925]

I think one thing that is interesting about this is how (awkwardly) we still have communities in art, but they are commercial in nature. For example, fan art is huge today, and it practically dominates most people's interaction with art...if we even consider sequels as a form of fan art (for the sake of argument) we can firmly say the world is addicted to fan art... It shows that the commercialization of art has become so thorough that we love to draw what we buy and what we consume. In terms of creepy art, it's the only thing outside of fan art that is also huge...because it accesses the eerie feeling of 21st century life. Additionally, we can also conclude that creepy art counters all the more optimistic fan art around us. It serves as a strong balance to commercialism...because creepy art is often ugly, while commercial art is extremely beautiful and conforming.

[@adamweilergurarye5422]

Bravo! Interesting lecture, thank you.

[@abrahamel-gothamy6472]

That was beautiful!

[@samuelbaumbachmadriz2856]

Very good video, made me think once more about my own reasons to express myself in an artistic way.

[@ronwilliams4184]

Partly I find myself attracted to this kind of art because it's interesting. Normal art, while no doubt well executed, is often boring. Beksinski's art in particular gives a view of the world that, while undoubtedly stemming from his internal vision and from his life, is definitely not boring.

[@Gwyll_Arboghast]

this is like the introduction to an essay. i want the rest of it.

[@rishabhmayank]

Thank you mate!

[@subhankarmohanta7546]

Excellent video!

[@OpusPlayer]

Awesome video!

[@ayde92829]

6:50 that point about the purpose of art as a tool for sociale cohésion turned inquisition of the tool itself during the modern art era is incredibly interesting. Thankyou

[@ayde92829]

10:00 the loss of mechanical relations for organic relations reflected in art during the period? What about non Eurocentric art which was still a status symbol of the ultra wealthy; but not used to instill a sense of nationalism? What about the advent of synthesized colors and photography which reduced the exclusivity of the function of master painters? Could be way, though: the shift began with dada and symbolists? Was it before with the romanticism and neoclassical?

[@szymonk91]

Nice attempt to pronounce Beksiński’s name haha 👌🏼 love your videos btw 😉

[@shamrock5725]

It is a subversion of the norm. Most religious art was merely a way of advertising instead of art for art's sake. The subversion is a reflection of the society as a whole constantly trying to make everything feel good by ignoring the problems, remove yourself from pain. The creepy art puts it right back into your face and shares that not everything is always as happy and cheery as it could be. That there are inner demons in all of us and sufferings that we face and the art is a manifestation of such things. Community art has also been corrupted via the art market system and their gatekeeping over what is and isn't appropriate art. Creepy art is like a individual rebellion and self-reflection.

[@peterdiaz8658]

Love your channel. It's just super. A question about this video, who were the artists in this video? You usually put the name of the artists in there 😁

[@nuggetospaghetto]

Great video. I'd love to see one about Hans Rudi Giger's art.

[@mohammadheydari6253]

Using an anti french music by Tchaikovsky for French Revolution is kinda wickedly ironic. 🙃

[@rongray655]

Another great and thoughtful video. I've also noticed that with the rise of AI art, the most produced images have creepy and dark themes. Photo realistic monsters in regular environments being the most popular. It's a very interesting glimpse into the human psyche.

[@jothewizard]

When speaking with people I know about why they like creepy art, it is often tied to their dred of the future our species seems to be moving toward. Sometimes though it is more of a feeling of a void in their daily life they can't quite explain.

[@KeyDyer]

It speaks to me way more than any photo realism. I can appreciate realism, but I can FEEL these creepy paintings.

[@henzotsp]

Love this documentary

[@Peter-qe1yh]

Your conclusion reminds me of one of Jacob Geller's side points in his Who's Afraid of Red, Yellow and Blue video. Where he argues that some of the worth of art is purely the feeling it gives you. I think there's a lot of merit to that

[@jox5504]

This video is sensational!

[@lonehawkwhitlock1310]

Love me some Dark Art. Moves the mind & soul. Stirring the consciousness and seeping into the subconscious. Thx for the video 🖤💀🖤

[@RiqueDropsBanter]

I listened to a podcast a while ago from the University Of The Netherlands where they explained why people often watch shocking/gore footages. The way that I understood it was basically just a combination of curiosity, and to experience a kind of trauma in a safe way. You're not really there when it happens but you will be able to see how ''it'' might look like, from a space place, behind your computer, or a phone. I recently got hooked into these art explanation channels and I gotta admit that I've always been interested into dark/creepy art. What is it that the artist wants to express? That video about 'the nightmare artist' also told how these artworks inspired metal bands, and I also saw some of that inspiration in the artwork for the Japanese postrock band MONO. Im just grateful these great channels exist.

[@MikaelaCher]

I love it for a simple reason: it's creative as anything else! Art is really great because you can create whatever you wish and i love when people decide to create things that are uncanny, horrible and terryfing

[@l.a.s8274]

Creativity! good point. These types of art make me imagine the world around these creepy scenarios, give-me the sensation of imersion in another dimension, it's great.

[@Pedro_Veste_Preto]

I am not an expert but just an enthusiast in the art studies and art as its own subject. Your analysis is really great in showing that art started as this expression that used to be about a bigger theme that brings the community together, an evocation of what is equal within people, a common denominator, and then, it shifted to individual experiences. About creepy art, I don't know if i am having a super superficial thought but I don't think it's the end of art because an end is a kind of simple conclusion that we, as humans invented, but in nature it doesn't exist! Even death, that for us is an absolute manifestation of conclusion, is not a conclusion for nature, it is just another process. I see the appeal of the creepy as a "response", actually I don't have a word for that so response was the best in my mind, to the search for a bigger theme, something so rooted in the subconscious of the individual that actually surpasses the individual and comes back to what reunites people. They are themes like the uncanny, the fear, the death, the after life, that disgusts us, that makes us sleepless at night, bones, body distortion, body horror, the ideas of holy and damned, not things that we believe are of holy and damned, but what really is down there in our mind. All this speak to us in the deepest level. They are individual but at the same time unites everybody together. I believed this theme is really also some kind of evolution of art, now speaking in more of a art study level, that confront us with the fragility of the limited human experience while what is really around us like nature or the universe or history doesn't end.

[@user-zq4mi3wb7l]

This type of art is a visual representation of what I feel when I listen to metal. I associate many of the same feelings with beksinski’s paintings with Gorguts’ colored sands album for example. Both depict imagery that is chaotic, complex, and obscure, as well as beautiful and consistent .

[@goralfistduck2091]

Jesus christ just halfway through this video and once again i love the philosophica takes...

[@am-180]

your ouroboros argument about modern art is actually very interesting and something I'll have to think on more. im a massive fan of contemporary art (though it can't be argued a lot isn't just made for speculative auctions, which i hate lol) but that is kind of true innit.

[@jamesjoelholmes4541]

Well said my friend.

[@Danay985]

I agree with everything you said and also the comments about creepy art becoming comforting for some people. In my case it doesn't have anything to do with trauma, it's just genuine liking in darker themes. But maybe general audiences got tired of traditional "pretty" eye pleasing art and the need for something different and shocking found its niche in creepy art. Everything we see and consume in media and (social media of course) feels exhausted and highly curated for us. Everything has to be aesthetic, clean and perfect. So when you see a gross, f**cked up, deformed and twisted painting it sure feels so refreshing, it makes you feel something indeed. At least that's my take on in. Creepy paintings and horrid illustrations are mostly what I consume 🖤

[@halguy5745]

another good example of community feeling art I've recently been into is peredvizhniki, a group of artists depicting harsh realities of proletarian life in late imperial russia. while many revolutionary russian artists used modernism and abstraction, peredvizhniki used realistic naturalistic style, which made their works harsh and heavy, but beautiful at the same time

[@beanieweenietapioca]

I think there also may simply be the fact that art which evokes "positive" sensations is ubiquitous in the common consumer culture. Impressionist landscapes and luxurious art-nouveau illistrations are reproduced on walls everywhere. We regularly are shown pleasant landscapes, vibrant abstract works, depictions of health and beauty via both representative and abstracted forms. And our world of consumer products and mass entertainment has pillaged this vocabulary so thoroughly that pointing back at advertising motifs became its own subgenre of "art about art," before becoming passe in turn. Not only do we experience the canon of "pleasant art" directly, but its techniques are aped in clothing, home decor, appliances, and commercials. We pass every day surrounded by a Versailles of images seeking to soothe, to arouse, to stroke and flatter. "Negative" imagery is far more scarce, and when the modern person encounters it, it is all the more potent as a result. There is much less money to be made in inspiring existential dread, despair, decadence, melancholy, self-reflection, and so on. (Anger, of course, is an exception--you can build a whole career with just that.) A commercial about how blissful it is to have a pet dog will be instantly forgotten. A commercial that depicts the death of a pet dog will be shared a half million times, among people who don't even know what is being advertised or even what language it's in. In our society that has saturated our lives with every form of "nice art," creepy art stands out and hits hard.

[@cgautz]

Thanks!

[@hannesh1308]

It could well be, that creepy Art is so "popular" because it brings the viewer to Connect with his Feelings in a World in which you always distract yourself from the fear. As you said, it materializes the feeling of Angst. As Goethe said: People are afraid of the unknown. Therefore connecting with Fear makes Fear less frigtening and kind of makes you calm down. I LOOOVE your Videos.

[@hannesh1308]

I feel uncomfortable and creeped out looking at these Paintings but I feel "natural" and "myself" and I love it

[@chilliemadness6841]

The moment i saw zdzislaw beksinski's painting it made me sooo excited His paintings are so beautiful and deep

[@Pentagram666mar]

Wooohooo I'm from Poland, so proud of Beksiński

[@wjr4700]

This might not mean much to most people but from personal experience, creepy art allows you to explore extreme textures and forms that are rarely found in other subjects. Its definitly an angst dump. But not in the emotional sense. More in the artistic energy release that can only be found in sharp angles, heavy contrasts and exagerated features.

[@giulyanoviniciussanssilva2947]

For me, horror, sensuality and comedy, they have a very great power to portray the world, not in a "portrait" way, but in a fable way these arts with these themes count more than reality Zdislaw Bekinski teases me with that beauty of his creepy arts that don't scare me they give me a feeling of enchantment maybe because I think his techniques are Cool and the way he uses photography and realism to distort reality in nightmares, for me he is an inspiration when it comes to portraying decadence and with that perhaps the beauty lies in the lack of information in these arts name and reasons I end up pulling from their time but the ones that don't portray war and religion I find myself challenged to look for my own meanings I wasn't born in the same country I'm touched by this artist's universal language, I think this interplay of art and audience of horror with fascination is what makes "scary" art captivate horror is powerful through the unknown Zdislaw and other artists masterfully paint the unknown and that appeals to you no matter what country you are from and what artist até from.

[@brianfpp540]

I like art that is particularly busy, you have to scrutinize and absorb every inch in order to notice everything, often the busy background demands much more of my attention and can add a lot more to the subject matter.

[@misiillyes4939]

Art is never meaningless, art is always made with a purpose. Yes, expression is a purpose too. Calling an art "creepy" and "without a purpose" shows that there was only an attempt to break down why people make art

[@lilywillow-7951]

You should do a video about Kathe Kollwitz! Her stuff is pure suffering and despair, and very visually striking, and I'm just so obsessed with her work lol

[@NevetsTSmith]

At the moment, Kathe Kollwitz is perhaps my favorite artist and that is for several reasons. As you mentioned, she depicted suffering and despair, struggle death and hopelessness; all very dark subject matter that, for one reason or another, has always agreed with me. But always it has had the direct social commentary about class, culture, exploitation and oppression, depicted as bleak as ever, but with a sympathetic sensitivity to all her subjects. Lastly, but equally, I adore her technique. Black and white, stylized yet with a thorough understanding of the technical elements of drawing.

[@ganemrahman3424]

@@NevetsTSmith I feel like there is a potential for the idea of "hope" in her art. It is very dark, but it was also revolutionary. Her art was so good, that the Nazis tried to recruit her even though her art was explicitly and implicitly against them.

[@JustGRIPPO]

This reminded me of the fascinating paintings used in Sterling's - Night Gallery. As a artist, I personally find that my best art is the visual crystallization of a certain emotion - no matter how it's portrayed - Realistic vs Abstract - the key is to translate the emotion state to another - in search of the common language .

[@jimmysrandom]

It is my personal outlet. Sometimes it's speaks to others, with their own backstories for it.

[@halfstaff2602]

these viDEos are art my dude

[@lukestarkiller1470]

Like many others I like dark art because of my struggles with mental health, it’s really the only way to express some of the deepest feelings of depression, dread, anxiety, or even existentialism and nihilism. Those feelings are what I’d say is the shared experience artists are relating to, and in a world of increasing mental health issues it makes sense why dark art is becoming so popular

[@Aivottaja]

Fear and dread are powerful feelings and for someone to be able to invoke those feelings with "just" a painting in a lot of other people is fascinating, because they have found something a lot of other humans share. It's like they have a mysterious gift or have cracked some code in psychology. Even if it's a terrible feeling they create, it still shows that the artist understands a lot about our psyche. That's the reason I find them so interesting, anyway. Even more so than creepy and scary movies, video games or stories, because those things have various ways to achieve their mood like sound and interactivity. With a painting, there's only the picture and nothing else.

[@corinnae.7877]

It's a mirror, only being able to show the artists soul. The viewer's soul gets reflected in it.

[@leonardovalletta9401]

nice video.

[@Laocoon283]

Art is meant to comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable. Your disposition towards these types of arts will let you know which you are: comfortable or disturbed.

[@EduardoGarbay]

Beksiński please!! I think he had something to say through his paintings.

[@oliviapenelopehope4497]

Society is sick right now. People like it when others can empathize with them. Through the suffering displayed in art, people relate to the pain of others. It's a form of therapy and community.

[@dz7858]

But I don’t understand, if creepy art is more popular today because of the fact that the community feeling is « gone » and that it relies know on personal feeling , why « happy » art doesn’t have the same popularity ? It’s also based on the personal feeling

[@thesilentcomposer1278]

Because creepy art reflects personal feelings which are more taboo and difficult for people to talk about, such as angst and depression. People don’t relate much to community feeling or happiness anymore and feel more comfortable expressing and discussing the taboo emotions reflected in creepy paintings.

[@dz7858]

@@thesilentcomposer1278 oh okey I see, thx !

[@xpendabull]

I think it has to do with the rise of post-modernism and the breaking down of traditional values. People today in general are less religious and nationalistic. Whether or not feel this is a good thing, I believe that the runoff effect of that is a feeling of isolation and not belonging to a group that aims at a higher purpose. Just a few hundred years ago the people of a village or town in medieval Europe would devote an immense amount of time and resources to build a church or cathedral, sometimes taking generations to complete so the original architect and builders never saw the finished product, or thousands of workers in ancient Egypt would build a pyramid or temple devoted to their God-king. Thousands of people came together to build the Great Wall of China for the common defense of their people from the Mongols. Can you see a nation or town today coming together to build another such great work? Individualism has it's benefits and I still ultimately believe in it, but it comes at a cost if taken too far. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.

[@psyche1988]

For me it's because as someone already mentioned, mental ilness. I suffer from depression, anhedonia more specific and anxiety. This type of art feels comfortable for me, makes my inner soul seen, held, heard...It's a weird comforting feeling.

[@workingorder2189]

These days, people's fear of community is the treads that binds so many of us online.

[@damilarearah]

I know you have an aesthetic/atmosphere - I like what you have to say all I ask is that can the music be lowered to make everything easier

[@eryktopolnicki9226]

I'm literally writing an academic paper on this topic right now lol.

[@darkartsocietypodcast]

I have a podcast called the Dark Art Society Podcast that covers this kind of art almost exclusively. There is a huge fan base for this kind of work.

[@bagofleavesp831]

They are soothing

[@dariusus9870]

Purpose of art - that sounds more horrifying than all these paintings put together in a concentration camp. Now i don't want to watch the rest of the video in fear of being utterly disappointed right after i was so glad i found your channel.

[@rodrigovalerosancho2234]

I missed in the video paintings by Hyeronimus Bosch. I mean, aren’t some of his triptychs really nightmarish? He is the maximum exponent of creepy art, religious terror and hallucinations, well before Goya, Dali or Beksinski.

[@Exodiant]

There are no great causes to unite us anymore, we are too cynical and self-critical for them now. The only thing left is emotion, and the emotion most common between us is fear. Other emotions may be sparked differently for each one of us, but fear reaches past our personhoods and tugs at the primal strings knotted in our chests. It is one of the few universal, or community-wide, experiences left.

[@TequilaSunset31]

it has comfort in it

[@theodore-gottlieb]

What’s the music starting at 0:51!? It’s wonderful

[@robknowles6152]

This is such a wonderful subject matter, greatly appreciate your video's, but this resonates with me and the type of work I've done in the past. As a nation, we, New Zealanders, are somewhat self effacing, reticent and humble, but when it comes to art,we are as dark as fuck, laconic, humorous and I love it! Not sure why this is, we're a pretty county tourists like to visit, but we do have a habit of killing each other, and our suicide rates are out of bounds. So we have a dark underbelly, check out the work of James Robinson, Keep up the good work. Rob Knowles

[@EggBastion]

Amor Sciendi - The End of Art? I'll get right on it