In this episode of Art Happens: The Divine Mess of Art History (presented by J-Squared Atelier), host James William Moore pulls back the curtain on the myth that art is “above politics.” Because history doesn’t back that up—when the world catches fire, artists don’t always whisper. Sometimes they make images so loud you can’t unsee them.

In Behind the Brush: When Art Gets Political, we follow political art as witness, protest, and pressure—starting with Francisco Goya’s The Third of May 1808, a painting that refuses to romanticize war and instead stares brutality straight in the face. Then we jump to the 1980s, where the Guerrilla Girls weaponize anonymity, humor, and hard data to expose inequality inside the museum itself—turning visibility into a battleground.

This episode breaks down what makes art political (hint: it’s not the style—it’s the intent), why institutions are never truly “neutral,” and how images can outlive their moment to ensure future generations can’t claim, “I didn’t know.”

Because the point isn’t to be approved.

The point is to be seen.

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Stay inspired with new episodes every week! Don’t miss out on deep conversations with artists, curators, and creators exploring the vibrant world of contemporary art.

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J-Squared Aterlier (J2Atelier)
🌐 Website: J2 Atelier
📸 Instagram: @J2Atelier
James William Moore
🌐 Website: James William Moore
📸 Instagram: @the_jwmartist

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A portrait that refuses to sit still.

In this episode of Art Happens: The Divine Mess of Art History, host James William Moore opens the case file on Jan van Eyck’s Arnolfini Portrait (1434)—a painting where the real plot twist isn’t the couple… it’s the mirror. A convex glass “eye” on the back wall reflects two unexpected figures in the doorway, pulling us into the room and turning a simple portrait into a staged moment, a legal-looking document, and a psychological trap.

We examine the painting’s most suspicious “clues”—the single burning candle, abandoned shoes, watchful dog, expensive oranges, prayer beads, and the mirror ringed with tiny Passion scenes—then follow the scholarly debate: wedding scene, betrothal, memorial, status flex… or a deliberate mash-up designed to multiply meaning.

Van Eyck’s famous inscription—“Jan van Eyck was here”—lands less like a signature and more like witness testimony. And once you notice that, the painting stops being something you look at… and becomes something that looks back.

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Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

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Stay inspired with new episodes every week! Don’t miss out on deep conversations with artists, curators, and creators exploring the vibrant world of contemporary art.

Connect with Us:

J-Squared Aterlier (J2Atelier)
🌐 Website: J2 Atelier
📸 Instagram: @J2Atelier
James William Moore
🌐 Website: James William Moore
📸 Instagram: @the_jwmartist

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Love what you hear? Help us grow by leaving a review on your favorite podcast platform! Your feedback keeps us inspired. 🎙️☕

In this episode, we drop straight into Surrealism—where logic takes a back seat and the subconscious grabs the wheel. If you’ve ever seen a lobster perched on a telephone and thought, “Yep… that tracks,” you already understand the vibe.

Born in the 1920s after World War I, Surrealism wasn’t “random for random’s sake”—it was a rebellion against the idea that reason alone could explain (or prevent) catastrophe. Guided by André Breton’s manifesto and supercharged by Sigmund Freud’s dream theories, Surrealists chased the hidden forces underneath everyday life: desire, fear, memory, obsession—everything we pretend isn’t running the show.

We break down the movement’s signature tactics—automatism, chance-based games like Exquisite Corpse, and juxtaposition—then step into the worlds of three iconic Surrealists: Salvador Dalí, with melting clocks and the famously unsettling Lobster Telephone; René Magritte, quietly sabotaging reality with razor-clean images and mind-bending statements; and Leonora Carrington, expanding Surrealism into myth, transformation, and a symbolic language that refuses to shrink women’s inner worlds into someone else’s fantasy.

Surrealism endures because it tells a truth we don’t love admitting: we’re not as rational as we think. This episode is your invitation to let the weird out—not to escape reality, but to expose what it’s hiding.

“They painted dreams not to escape reality — but to expose it.”

If Surrealism lit a spark, pour another shot with Lattes & Art—where we talk to artists about how the magic actually gets made.

Lattes & Art Podcast

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Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Follow & Subscribe to Art Happens
Stay inspired with new episodes every week! Don’t miss out on deep conversations with artists, curators, and creators exploring the vibrant world of contemporary art.

Connect with Us:

J-Squared Aterlier (J2Atelier)
🌐 Website: J2 Atelier
📸 Instagram: @J2Atelier
James William Moore
🌐 Website: James William Moore
📸 Instagram: @the_jwmartist

Leave a Review:
Love what you hear? Help us grow by leaving a review on your favorite podcast platform! Your feedback keeps us inspired. 🎙️☕