One is composed of two groups of work that blends together, both in sense and form. In the first group, plant forms have been captured by using photogram* technique. In the second group of work, Mevlevi Dervishes have been photographed during Whirling Ritual.
These works has been completed by using chemical methods. Digital processes have been utilised only in the enlarging of the exhibition prints.
*Photogram Technique, creating photographic prints without using a camera by exposing objects in dark room.
Trunks ripped of from leaves, covered by shadow, touched by cold...
At last, the stage was left to buds, branches, torns and to a few resilient leaves. Calm and simple... Winter garden...
This selection is composed of 10 of 33 photographs that were in the exhibition.
This video was recorded in 2008. To be with the trees in silence, I deleted the noise from the highway.
90's... The prints that appeared while playing games with darkroom printing process... And sometimes pens joined the flow.
Since 2003, I have been gathering the traces on my path as they were by using a small digital camera. First collection was from Istanbul, Paris, Milano and Wuppertal, which was exhibited in 2005.
I continue to shoot the traces on ground. Since 2006 I have collected about 1000 photographs. They are waiting for selection and editing.
When I was a child, the excitement that I felt about the magical view while crossing the bridge over Bosphorus in Istanbul, would turn into a hastiness, since it was going to disappear within short while.
Photography was my remedy to transience. I was recording it, before it's gone and forgotten...
At these times, with the small analog camera in my young hands, I could only get blurred spots and stripes!
Then my life crossed with photography in university years in 1988. I was interested in the photography club in the Middle East Technical University in Ankara which I studied Food Engineering. I decided to attend to photography courses. After the first lesson about camera exposure settings, my daring soul told me that, I was ready for shooting. I was not interested about composition lessons and what is good and acceptable in photography.
At the end of that summer, I knocked on the door of the photography club again with 8 black and white rolls. They taught me how to develop b&w film and print it in dark room. Thank you Akif, Bedii,Tayyar... Next year I held my first solo exibition in the gallery of the university.
I started my own black and white darkroom at these days. My knowledge was limited. I carried on by learning what I needed when I needed.
For a period, while developing my prints in the darkroom, I gave myself permission to break the boundaries. And I became more of me in my photography. I experimented, played around and really enjoyed the journey more.
In 1996 I was compelled to the photogram technique, that I came across in an article. Was it possible to create photographs without film and camera???
Without seeing one, I rushed to my darkroom. My photograms were born out of darkness. After all, the first photograms I saw, were the ones I created. I wanted to share them immediately. The first selection exhibited in 1997 and later works were in 2004 in my third exibition.
During this exibition something else happened; I was mesmerised by the atmosphere of the exhibition place, Mevlevi Lodge of Galata, built by Rumi's followers in 1491. And I wanted to learn more and tell to the others. So, I found myself shooting a documentary film about this mystical place. I had passed the gate of Mevlevi Lodge of Galata Museum to hold an exhibiton and I got out five years later with a documentary film in my hands.
Among other things, digital photography permeated in my life as well. Since 2003, with a small digital camera, I have gathered traces on my way, from the ground as they were. First collection was from Istanbul, Milano, Paris and Wuppertal. Trace-on-Ground-1 were exhibited in 2005. Since that time, I continue to collect these traces.
Another theme of digital shots named as 'Winter Garden' was exhibited in 2007.
I established my own photograpy atelier in 2000 in Istanbul. For ten years, I worked on the field on advertisement photography too. These were the supporters of my artistic works.
I have given a long break. During this time, I have put by projects, some were rough, some were more developed. Nowadays I am getting back to them.
Solo exhibitions:
First solo exhibition was in 1989 in the Middle East Technical University in Ankara.
Photographs, Photograms and Bogies' were exhibited in 1997 in the art gallery of Turkish American Culture Association in Ankara and Aksanat Gallery in Ordu.
'One' in 2004 at the gallery of Galata Mevlevihanesi Museum in Istanbul and Mevlana Culture Center in Konya.
Trace-on-Ground-1, were exhibited in 2005 in Istanbul Tünel Building in Istanbul.
'Winter Garden' was exhibited in 2007 in Accenturc Design Gallery in Istanbul.
For centuries, Mevlevi lodges were established for dervishes to follow Rumi's spiritual path. Mevlevi Lodge of Galata the oldest one, in Istanbul founded in 1491, was frequented by western travelers. West met with mystical world of Rumi for the first time in this place.
Film is based on what it was and still is, that attracts people around the world to this humble building for ages. We are taking a closer look at its history, tradition and traces of the past with its permeable stance between life and death.
© 2010 Ebru Bilun AKYILDIZ all rights reserved
