21 June,1998, Copyright © Turkish Daily News
Antalya - Turkish Daily News
The DYO show, the 28th annual exhibition of pictures chosen for prizes and exhibit by the Yasar Education and Culture Foundation's selection panel, can be seen at the State Fine Art Gallery until June 30. The exhibition was displayed in 1997 in Istanbul, Izmir and Bursa and in Ankara, Denizli, Adana and Gaziantep in 1998.
If you are frequenter of Western art galleries, then you might enjoy refreshing your memory of 20-30 years ago: your visits to the Tate and the Heyward, young northern contemporaries in Britain and their equivalent in Austria, France and Germany.
Cem Ugurlu, born in 1971, has a still life which, in the catalogue, perhaps because it is smaller, has a photographic quality and sharpness lacking in larger paintings, but it is reminiscent of Lucien Freud.
Fevzi Tufekci seems to be traveling down Graham Sutherland's road, while Tamer Ersoy has touches of Picasso, always a good "quote," Gerge Grosz, Edward Burra and Marc Chagall. Turan Enginoglu has given his view of Tire a "di Chirico surrealist flavor" with just a touch of Utrillo, while Ferhat Ozgur is perhaps quoting the 15th century master Mehmet Siyah Kalem and as such, is to be congratulated.
But when all is said and done, frottage mottage quote unquote, Mehmet Gureli's untitled acrylic seems so full of the late Francis Bacon that I almost checked the signature. It is remarkable to see the impact of 20th century European painting on this exhibition, although I do wonder if it is altogether wise or creative. But the exhibit provides a stroll down memory lane for those who feel the need to refresh their memories of the recent past of Western European modern art.