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ARA GULER PHOTO EXHIBITION: A REFLECTION ON THE ISTANBUL HE GOT TO KNOW
Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
Sept 27 2013
ISTANBUL - Hurriyet Daily News
Organized within the scope of 'Turkish-European Association
Intercultural Art Dialogues' and the 'Art and Life,' Ara Guler's
exhibition opens in Brussels Print Page Send to friend Â" Share
Influenced by Istanbul, photographer Ara Guler depicts the colorful
life and socio-cultural aspects of the city, which is always observed
carefully because of its cultural richness, artistic, economic,
and strategic importance, according to the curator of the exhibtion
in Brussels.
Photographer Ara Guler's exhibition, "Istanbul in My Memoirs,"
has opened in Brussels as part of the Turkey-EU Intercultural Art
Dialogues project.
Curator Beste Gursu said Guler photographed stories that will
not be forgotten for generations. "Ara Guler depicts the colorful
life and socio-cultural aspects of this giant metropolis, which is
always observed carefully because of its cultural richness, artistic,
economic, and strategic importance - through his own perspective with
shots that offer an insight into history. What is often ignored in
photos taken by Ara Guler is the documentary-like and also surrealistic
manner of expression of the uncertainty that he is always in search
of," Gursu said.
Guler is a master, who has witnessed a historic 80-year period in
Turkish history. When talking about himself he says he considers
himself lucky that events in his shots came across him at the right
time. Describing the life an empty film roll given to the people,
Guler advises us to try to fill each moment in an excellent manner
that will guide us for many years.
Even though it is known that Guler has held hundreds of exhibitions
of his work all over the world and published many books, memoirs of
him in Istanbul have a different place for him. As he says: He is a
part of Istanbul and he is searching for these parts in his photos.
A phrase often ascribed to Istanbul is "A city through which a sea
passes," and this is enriched in the shots of Ara Guler in a chaotic
environment that is melancholic, alone and transformed. As its name
suggests, the exhibition consists of the selection of Istanbul photos
taken between years 1950 and 1988, and represents the memories that
have not been forgotten for a lifetime and contain different feelings
as they are remembered.
The effects of Istanbul in Guler's works
In his childhood Guler was greatly influenced by the cinema. As
a high-school student he worked at film studios in every branch of
cinema. In 1951, he graduated from the Getronagan Armenian High School
and then began training in theatre and acting under Muhsin Ertugrul.
He wanted to be either a director or a scriptwriter. At that time
some of his stories were published in literary magazines and Armenian
newspapers.
He continued his education in the Faculty of Economics at Istanbul
University. However, on deciding to become a photo-journalist, he
dropped out of university and did his military service. He began a
career in journalism with the newspaper Yeni Ä°stanbul in 1950. He
became a photojournalist for Time Life in 1956 and for Paris Match
and Stern in 1958. Around the same time, he joined Magnum Agency. He
did a feature on Noah's Ark and over 100 of these photographs were
distributed by Magnum Photos.
In 1992, his photographs of the great architect Sinan's works in
Istanbul, which he had been preparing for many years, were published in
France by Edition Arthaud and by Thames & Hudson in the U.S. and the
U.K., under the title "Sinan: Architect During the Time of Suleiman
the Magnificent." He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Yıldız
Technical University in 2004, the Presidential Culture and Arts Grand
Award in 2005 and the Culture Award from the Arts of the Ministry of
Culture and Tourism in 2011.
The exhibition will be on display until Oct. 24 at the Permanent
Delegation of the Turkish Republic to the European Union in Brussels.
The third event as part of the "Turkish-European Association
Intercultural Art Dialogues" series, which has been conceptualized
within the scope of the "Art and Life" projects, will take place in
the Turkish Republic's European Union Permanent Representation Office
in Brussels.
September/27/2013
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/ara-guler-photo-exhibition-a-reflection-on-the-istanbul-he-got-to-know.aspx?pageID=238&nID=55200&NewsCatID=385
Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
Sept 27 2013
ISTANBUL - Hurriyet Daily News
Organized within the scope of 'Turkish-European Association
Intercultural Art Dialogues' and the 'Art and Life,' Ara Guler's
exhibition opens in Brussels Print Page Send to friend Â" Share
Influenced by Istanbul, photographer Ara Guler depicts the colorful
life and socio-cultural aspects of the city, which is always observed
carefully because of its cultural richness, artistic, economic,
and strategic importance, according to the curator of the exhibtion
in Brussels.
Photographer Ara Guler's exhibition, "Istanbul in My Memoirs,"
has opened in Brussels as part of the Turkey-EU Intercultural Art
Dialogues project.
Curator Beste Gursu said Guler photographed stories that will
not be forgotten for generations. "Ara Guler depicts the colorful
life and socio-cultural aspects of this giant metropolis, which is
always observed carefully because of its cultural richness, artistic,
economic, and strategic importance - through his own perspective with
shots that offer an insight into history. What is often ignored in
photos taken by Ara Guler is the documentary-like and also surrealistic
manner of expression of the uncertainty that he is always in search
of," Gursu said.
Guler is a master, who has witnessed a historic 80-year period in
Turkish history. When talking about himself he says he considers
himself lucky that events in his shots came across him at the right
time. Describing the life an empty film roll given to the people,
Guler advises us to try to fill each moment in an excellent manner
that will guide us for many years.
Even though it is known that Guler has held hundreds of exhibitions
of his work all over the world and published many books, memoirs of
him in Istanbul have a different place for him. As he says: He is a
part of Istanbul and he is searching for these parts in his photos.
A phrase often ascribed to Istanbul is "A city through which a sea
passes," and this is enriched in the shots of Ara Guler in a chaotic
environment that is melancholic, alone and transformed. As its name
suggests, the exhibition consists of the selection of Istanbul photos
taken between years 1950 and 1988, and represents the memories that
have not been forgotten for a lifetime and contain different feelings
as they are remembered.
The effects of Istanbul in Guler's works
In his childhood Guler was greatly influenced by the cinema. As
a high-school student he worked at film studios in every branch of
cinema. In 1951, he graduated from the Getronagan Armenian High School
and then began training in theatre and acting under Muhsin Ertugrul.
He wanted to be either a director or a scriptwriter. At that time
some of his stories were published in literary magazines and Armenian
newspapers.
He continued his education in the Faculty of Economics at Istanbul
University. However, on deciding to become a photo-journalist, he
dropped out of university and did his military service. He began a
career in journalism with the newspaper Yeni Ä°stanbul in 1950. He
became a photojournalist for Time Life in 1956 and for Paris Match
and Stern in 1958. Around the same time, he joined Magnum Agency. He
did a feature on Noah's Ark and over 100 of these photographs were
distributed by Magnum Photos.
In 1992, his photographs of the great architect Sinan's works in
Istanbul, which he had been preparing for many years, were published in
France by Edition Arthaud and by Thames & Hudson in the U.S. and the
U.K., under the title "Sinan: Architect During the Time of Suleiman
the Magnificent." He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Yıldız
Technical University in 2004, the Presidential Culture and Arts Grand
Award in 2005 and the Culture Award from the Arts of the Ministry of
Culture and Tourism in 2011.
The exhibition will be on display until Oct. 24 at the Permanent
Delegation of the Turkish Republic to the European Union in Brussels.
The third event as part of the "Turkish-European Association
Intercultural Art Dialogues" series, which has been conceptualized
within the scope of the "Art and Life" projects, will take place in
the Turkish Republic's European Union Permanent Representation Office
in Brussels.
September/27/2013
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/ara-guler-photo-exhibition-a-reflection-on-the-istanbul-he-got-to-know.aspx?pageID=238&nID=55200&NewsCatID=385