The history of modern art in Turkey began towards the ending period of the Ottoman Empire with the artists from Europe being invited to the palace and by sending the local artists to Europe and their studies of course. Even though there were attempts of the Sultans having their portrait drawn, we can say that the understanding truly started to become a tradition during the mentioned period. This tradition showed contiunity in the art fields such as painting, sculpture, music etc. With the establishment in 1920’s for many years, Turkish Republic took the western origin art as a reference and carried the tradition to our days.

In the Turkish art, with the forming of the Turkish Republic after the Ottoman Empire, besides the efforts of becoming modernized, the palace which was taken from the Ottoman Empire and the art of the Anatolian nation was also very important.

According to Islam religious rules, figurative descriptions were forbidden. This was a very characteristic factor for the Ottoman art productions and traditions. Even though these rules were forced in forms of miniatures, illustrations were produced with a peculiar point of view carrying non-perspective components. Apart from the mentioned, decorating and calligraphy art was also very well developed.  These work of arts were important for aesthetics abstraction and orginality. In the art of folk, traditional features were reflected to the objects in a very affective way.

Nevertheless sculptures and icons have always taken place in the culture of Anatolia. Monuments and stoneworks of the very important sculpture schools of ancient greece existing in the western Anatolia, the prehistoric tumulus findings in inner Anatolia, with the remnants of ancient civilizations such as The Komagene and the Hittites, the existed near future Seljuk and Ottoman Islam civilizations have carried a very rich deposition to our days.

With this knowledge if we return to the Turkish Republic sculpture period; in the 1880’s an archaelogy museum, during the ending period of the Ottomans together with the academy of fine arts which can be classified as the first, was inaugurated by the archaelogist-artist Osman Hamdi.

With the declaration of the republic and the forming to the new government the first public sculpture was made by Heinrich Crippel in 1926 in Istanbul which was a monument of Atatürk. Because the Turkish artist did not have enough technical or practical experience in monumental sculptures, until the new educated generation came, these monumental statues were made by  the European sculptures such as Pietro Canonica, Heinrich Crippel, Joseph Hanak and Torak. Furthermore during the 1930’s important names such as Rudolph Belling came to Turkey as a refuge from the Nazi Germany and gave sculpture lessons in the academy. The sculpture art and practical experience of belling was very effective on the students. Skills of the Turkish sculpture artists developed in large scale applications and they started making sculpture monuments. During the 1950’s names such as Zuhtu Muridoglu, Þadi Çalýk, Hüseyin Gezer and Nusret Suman started making monumental statues. Womans rights had increased with turkey becoming republic. Sabiha Bengisu is one of the first women in the sculptor art. Until our days women such as Zerrin Bölükbasi, Meric Hizal, Fusun Onur and Hale Tenger have stepped forward and they have important public sculptures.  Furthermore with the new academies and institutes important developments  were achieved. Artists returning from europe as educators have also made important impacts.

 With the republic ideology, monumental statues were being made within the country. They carried the theme ; war of liberation and its leaders. The same approach and the applications in our days is one of the understandings for public city sculptures.

In 1973 this approach was supported by the government.with the project of approximately 20 artists placing their genuine works in Istanbul, the situation started to change. Even thoug this attempt , carried the artists genuine works as its contents, for different reasons they couldn’t find the chance to apply the project of all statue types. Art works applied by artists such as Sadi Calýk, Kuzgun Acar, Zuhtu Muridoglu, Fusun Onur, Muzaffer Ertoran, using their own perspective, obtained the space to apply public city sculptures in Turkey with a new point of view during 1973. During this period, artists which managed to go to Europe with their own possibilities or by taking  a scholarship were  more intimate with the problems in modern art after they returned tý turkey. We can say that these depositions, Turkish statue of art made a very important worldwide progression in a short term.

During the 1960’s some pioneer names began genuine and bold attempts. Some of the most important names are Kuzgun Acar, Ilhan Koman, Zuhtu Muridoðlu, Hadi Bara, Sadi Calik.

 

Kuzgun Acar who worked using metal equipment, during the “Paris Young World Statue Biennial” as an artist who achieved an international success in the art of Turkish sculpture in 1961.

 

Ilhan Koman is another artist who settled in Sweden and made sculptures of the period, adding his uniqe interpretations. He achieved a popularity in Istanbul and was seen as a milestone in the “Mediterranean“sculpture of  public art.

 

Some of the Turkish sculptors who realized the Anatolian culture and its aesthetic, knew how to use this deposition, and produced successful Works in 3 dimension art, in order to speak their own modern unique international language. Huseyin Gezer, Bedri Rahmi and Mehmet Aksoy are some of the very important  names.

 

Sculpture symposiums arranged in our days; with the support of the governments and the private sector the artists found more of a chance to apply the sculptures in the out-doors and within the cities. With the high amount of international participation, during the past  15 years, an important progress in these activities have been gained. Istanbul, Hacettepe and Deðirmendere are one of the most important symposiums.

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2.   "If the Metal Talks:Ilker Yardimci Sculpture Exhibition "

"THE ESSENCE OF A KNIFE IS TO CUT"     Hasan Uygun'   "Critic"   www.mavimelek.com

"Dreamclipper", "Timeclipper" ,"The Pillager" ,"Course Of The Stagnant" ,"The Game Of Public" , "Metalorganic" , "The Confusion Of Prism" and the others...All reminiscent of some deep meanings, like the names of literary works.Yet, it is not how the globes,cubes and prisms -the most basic universal forms- meets the eye with the shapes they have in the nature that makes these names some sort of messenger of the new form that they will meet in the paste of creativity, it is their description as a being beyond unseen.The important thing is to knead this paste with a proper and simple hand and to bring it a sense of rythm and dynamism.

 A part of an ordinary scissor that has been putted to garbage,a deformed object which is waiting to be ground in a junkyard, with a bunch of metal or stack of molten iron that has been melted by a welding machine in a repair shop...It's all garbage to an ordinary eye, isn't it?

It's not! It's not, because a hand grabs it and gives it her or his own special touch, brings it together with the artlovers.They all come to a new meaning and become a perminant art work in the artist's hands.

It's like all the objects which had been touched by the expert hands that gives life to the metal and shown to people in the exhibition hall, came to life."The Pillager" will jump out from the bottom that it's on and will get into the audience crowd.As if it's preparing to stroll among the "Endless Columns" and guide it's little brothers and sisters "Insecta"s.Also, a simple freedom shares "The Confusion Of Prism" and tries to stay away from the "Mechanic" observer's eyes.In the moments that our feelings "In The Space" expressed, it's not possible not to envy "Cervantes".But after everytime that our Don Quijotic dreams falls into parts, we creep into our own skin and become a part of "The Game Of Public" with a childish consolation.

How far it is possible, in a sculpture exhibition, that within all this metal,the human could feel life,that he or she tries to be a part of this life, not only with a sense of game, but an understanding to the attractive seduction of imagination?

The ones who know the difference between looking and seeing, would know that the art is a simple and strong way of communication.Especially when it comes to the art of sculpture, any artlover knows that every sculpture has it's own life story, a reason of being and it's integrity with it's creator's marks.

There is a sculpture exhibition in the Halic University Mecidiyekoy Campus Exhibition Hall which continues.The exhibition that has opened on the 23 of March, exhibits 25 works that had been made of different materials by sculpture artist Ilker Yardimci between the years of 2003-2008, will host artlovers till the 15 of April 2009.

Yardimci, whose works takes place ininstitutions like Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, Soktaþ A.L., HSBC Bank, ERDEMIR, Schools of ENKA, Beijing Yi Dong Sculpture Co and private collections, has wave the flag for Turkey in the Competition Of Olympic Games City Sculptures with his work : "The Confusion Of Prism".It's also possible to see the sculpture which is one of the 26 international works of the artist in the exhibition.

Ilker Yardimci, whose works are usually made of metal ingredients, uses a metal workshop to create his sculptures. Yardimci spends most of his time among metal parts, junks, welding machines, cutters, sketches and models and says that he "wants to create a studio, as organic as it can be, that carries the traces of life, keeps the energies and lives in itself". And he reflects this to his sculptures.When he's been asked about his motivation of creativity, he says: "The essence of a knife is to cut."

Yardimci, usually pursues an expressionist way in his art, his works that he reflects his emotional state,communicates with the audience, sometimes in a agressive and sometimes in a calm outlook.

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3. INTERVIEW WITH ILKER YARDIMCI

http://www.flashfilm.com/us/people/artist/pa0029ilkeryardimci.html

 Q1. Please talk us about “The Confusion of The Prism” which selected for Beijing 2008 olympic park area? How did the idea come from?

1. Art is the simpliest and the most powerful way of communication. People can tell their opinions to each other through art. For instance, this can be clearly seen in the art of music. We can recognize the sorrow and joy in a melody that we listen. When we consider this from the point of art of sculpture, the forms such as spheres, cubes and prisms are the major universal forms. The universality of these forms makes them the best materials that can form a common visual communication language. In view of this idea, my sculpture named “The confusion of the prism”, which has created by using a triangle prism wants to share the feeling of dynamism and rhytm with its viewers through defining in a simple and frugal way. “The Confusion Of The Prism” reflects its own possibilities of metamorphosis and change and existence like a game. I hope, “The Confusion Of The Prism” found at the olympic park in a feast on which the whole world will focus like olympic games, will reflect its inner dynamism and excitement with viewers in a sympathic, dynamic and simple way. It will contribute to soul and energy harmony at the olympic park and will play a great role in it.

 Q2. Is there a frustration fort the history of modern art in Turkey in your work? Can you talk about how the traditional Turkey culture reflects your artwork.?

2. The culture of Anatolia is made up of various layers. Both historically and ethnically. This variety, like in the history of region, is considered as a great disadvantage for Turkey even today in many social and cultural respects. However, as an art creator i believe that everything will be better when we sincerely realize the common and vital points and characteristics of our cultural variety. As far as I am concerned, when we come to absorb our differences by showing respect to our rights of living and freedom, this will lead us to a better life. This condition is valid for the whole world. Actually, this idea forms the axis of many of my sculptures. As a matter of fact, if we look at the bright side, we can talk about a kind of theme richness to which these problems lead in the creation of art in terms of social or individual respects. I try to show this energy and experience in my sculptures. Turkey, especially Istanbul, has shown a significant development in terms of creation and contribution of art in the last 20 years. This also causes a kind of artistic freedom in many respects, but mostly this means “a freedom of solitary island” for an artist.

 Q3. I often think of art as the protracted physiognomy of the artist, your work seems to reflect this idea. What are the special qualities of your design?

3. I want to reflect my mood and opinions in my sculptures. This can occur politically or individually…etc. A kind of expressionism approach. The sculptures that I have created in accordance with my mood can be aggressive or submisive. They are like the reflections of expressionism of “I” who is at limit. This effect is in fact exactly what I want. And if this is felt by the viewers as well, then it will mean that there is a communication.

 Q4.Could you tell us how do you like your work space? What does it look like?

4. In general, I am working with metallic mediums and that’s why the workshop I’m working in is the one full of metal materials, scraps, welding machines, cutters, sketches and models. However , in the meantime I am trying to find ways that can be an inspiration or a reference point form y subsequent sculptures within the mess of the workshop. I have the intention of making a vital workshop which includes hidden and mystical energies within itself like life.

 Q5. What projects you are currently working on?

5. I have been working on new ideas and sculptures for an exhibition that I will open in Istanbul on November 2008.

 Q6. What does your average day entail?

6. I generally work on new sculpture projects. This brings about reading and researching. Meantime, I am studying hardly on my PhD. I spend all my energy on my work throughout the day in the workshop. I am living in Izmir city. It is a city of gulf and it a beatiful and quiet coastal place. I also try to enjoy these beauties till the last drop.

 Q7. Is there a dream project that you would like to do?

7. I work on especially urban sculpture projects. Art left galleries in 20 th century. Hereafter, the main approach of today is to take art into the living areas of people. My aim is to demonsrate my sculptures to people and make art be a dynamic part of their lives. It is my dream to make great and lasting studies aiming at making my dream come true.

 Q8. Favorite artist?

8. I have many actually. I am particularly affected by those such as Richard Serra, Bernar Venet, Anish Kapoor, Kuzgun Acar, and Ýlhan Koman who have succeeded in meeting their sculptures with people. However, Ilhan Koman, a sculptor from my country, can be the leading one, since he has a sculpture named, “Mediterrenean” that becomes a legend in our country. I appreciate his work full of effect and sincerity that he inherit to his viewers and it deservers to be appreciated.

 Q9. Favorite place to see art?

9. There is streets, squares and areas..

 Q10. Would you like to add anything for your Japanese fans?

10. I think, art belongs to all and everybody is a kind of artist actually. To be a “fan” is a quite passive situation. Clearly, I don’t want anyone to be a “fan” I would like the people looking at my sculptures with satisfaction to start making their own sculptures or try to create something in any field of art willingly. This can be, I think, a beginning of a new life for many of them.. As a result, I have found an opportunity to share my thoughts, wishes and sculptures as well with may people thanks to this interview. Thank you.

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