'anthroposynthetic' by Burak Kutlay Exhibition Catalogue
www.artnumber23.uk | London - Athens
Exhibition Catalogue Featuring: • Introduction • Interview with the artist • Exhibited artworks
'anthroposynthetic' by Burak Kutlay
Introduction Human beings who has the power to change the earth geomorphologically have entered the Anthropocene age which is expected to be accepted by the international commission on stratigraphy. I point out and question the existence of individuals living in this system, where human beings were born and grew up in cities they created. I create works that reflect the multi-layered interaction of human bodies and portraits with city images by using natural material wood, synthetically produced epoxy and acrylic paint. “Today's artists not only seek to create new discourses in different contexts, but also use different materials to deepen and layer the subject. Burak Kutlay, an artist who replicates what he wants to say in this diversity axis with different references. It reproduces and deepens the image by overlapping various architectural drawings by using epoxy on the portraits made with acrylic on wood. Therefore, the new 'landscape' that we watch in Kutlay's paintings, in a sense, is about the environment and architecture created by today's individual while on the other hand… In Kutlay's paintings, he does not distinguish between the city views and the architecture that surround the individual and himself. by pointing to the opposite, it truly points to the multilayeredness of the human-environment relationship. Neither takes the portrait alone and glorifies it nor leaves the architecture breathless by isolating it from the individual. The fact that the paintings contain many architectural drawings and collages deepens this intimacy; the individual urges to rethink the environmental relationship.” - Esra Aliçavuşoğlu, 2018
www.burakkutlay.com | @burak_kutlay
'Composition of construction', 85x110cm, 2018 3 layered epoxy resin with acrylic on plywood
'Composition of construction II', 85x110cm, 2018 3 layered epoxy resin with acrylic on plywood
• What is your favourite art movement up to the 20th Century and how has it affected your work? I wouldn't want to restrict it to just one, but there are two main movements that I'm most impressed with. Firstly, there is Impressionism and its effects on the world, and the other one is American realism. Cloude Monet and Edward Hopper are the artists that influence me the most. I view Impressionism as the beginning of modern art and as a scientific trend that creates new foundations for the principles of painting, which questions the light spectrum perceived by the human eye, and brings a new perspective to form and composition. American realism, meanwhile, impacts me with its focus, which lays bare the isolation of people in cities, and how it questions the environments people live in. To this day, this has led me to always question how human beings, after evolving and living in nature for hundreds of thousands of years, now somehow live in the era of cities that have just been created in just the last few thousand years. • Where do you reside and how would you describe the art scene in your country? I live in Turkey. I believe there is a lot of interest in popular art in my country, as I feel it’s generally similar worldwide. I think the arts in general, thanks to social media and its merits, is in a process of singularization. There is a simplistic, misleading idea that an artwork is produced just as a décor for our homes or the places we occupy. In this digital new age, where value is weighted by the number of “likes”, it is getting harder to distinguish the questioning effects of art; free from any prejudices, It's difficult to promote a new or original vision. Despite everything, I can say that I live in a country where artists are both talented in their fields and are pushing the limits of conceptual thinking under these difficult conditions.
• How does your work comment on current social issues? (political, social, health issues etc) In my paintings, I combine portraits of the human body and cityscapes as a means of imaginary expression. I produce multi-layered paintings that articulate structures in three-dimensional space by overlaying multiple images on top of each other. I think spatiality has fundamental effects on human beings’ perception. In essence, I am trying to make sociological comments by combining images that reflect the living space be it cities, buildings, structures that form a pattern or even abandoned areas, and contrast them with human forms. I think we are disconnected from nature. • What is your work-day like? Every day is different; production processes I follow differs each day. Besides photographing apartments, interiors, concrete structures that are lumped together to create cities, I also shoot drone videos, and further, search online for photos of the places and spaces that I may have not visited personally. I then translate the impressions that these images bestow upon me, manipulating them in a digital environment to create a new digital design. Later, I paint these designs on plywood using layers of acrylic and epoxy resin to create a three-dimensional effect on the surface.
'Composition of construction V', 85x110cm, 2018 3 layered epoxy resin with acrylic on plywood
Composition of construction VI 110x85cm, 2018 3 layered epoxy resin with acrylic on plywood
• Is there a connection between your process/the materials you use and the message you want to convey in your work? My third solo exhibition, "Anthroposynthetic" was derived from the term "Anthropocene" voiced by atmospheric chemist Paul Jozef Crutzen who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1995 and professor of biology Eugene F. Stoermer, explaining the impact of human activity on ecosystems. In my paintings I express the relationship between the cities we create artificially and the human as being a part of nature by using epoxy resin as a synthetic product and wood which is also a product of nature.
• How do you deal with the art scene during/after the Coronavirus pandemic? I think that the coronavirus is no doubt a threat to humanity, but is an even greater threat to the economic systems we have established. To this day, humanity has experienced many major pandemics. But thanks to today's technology, arguably this virus can be taken under control more easily. The important thing is to ensure that the systems we build do not become the root cause of unhappiness and death for people. Personally, I try to pay attention to physical distance until everything is under control. I do not enter confined spaces without making sure it is well ventilated. I try to socialize without creating a crowd in gallery and exhibition environments. But I have to say that I don’t think we will ever be completely content in an art environment where socialization is restricted.
• What are the next steps in your career? We are in an age where the digital environment for art is almost mainstay. These technological tools provide us with enormous possibilities. I lately gravitate towards focusing more on video art works. Shortly after creating my video art named Anthroposynthetic II, I came across the Qatsi trilogy directed by Godfrey Reggio, accompanied by magnificent pieces by Philip Glass, and it had a deep impact on me. Currently, I am designing works in which I also use digital materials along with traditional ones. My aim is to focus on digital art, while expressing fundamental traditions in a more contemporary flair.
• What do you think is more important: the concept, the techniques or both? I think that the concept and the technique in art are inseparable. It cannot be said neither the concept nor technique is more important than the other. Works that are strongest in both will always be more meaningful and valuable
'Composition of construction VII', 85x110cm, 2017 3 layered epoxy resin with acrylic on plywood
'Composition of construction VIII', 110 x 85 x 2 cm 2017 3 layered epoxy resin with acrylic on plywood
• What is your opinion on censorship in art? Do you think there are any sensitive topics that an artist should not work around?
To succumb to censorship in art means accepting not inquiring life and the universe. If we are thinking beings as Descartes said, then we should be able to question anything and everything. Otherwise, what value or meaning can our lives have?
• How do you deal with social media? How has social media affected promoting your art? Social media platforms have huge advantages and disadvantages, pros and cons. You can access and interact with all art platforms around the world, wherever you are. But this can also incite mindless consumerism. We can bypass many things that would normally be sieved through critical thinking or without dwelling on them for too long. We are also subject to visual and dimensional restrictions. I think virtual environments should improve to appeal to all our 5 senses. Be it a sculpture, installation, painting, etc. we can never otherwise equalize the gap between experiencing such works on a black screen or in their actual environment. The other issue here is algorithms. The relentless efficiency of monetizing content should not, and can not be trusted to determine the value of art, and expecting it to do so is probably unhealthy in my opinion. I believe that human beings have great responsibilities in order to move forward in these matters.
'In the land of Human', 110x85cm, 2017 3 layered epoxy resin with acrylic on plywood
'Interact I', 110x170cm, 2019 3 layered epoxy resin with acrylic on plywood
'Interact II', 110x170cm, 2019 3 layered epoxy resin with acrylic on plywood
'Interact III', 110x110cm, 2019 3 layered epoxy resin with acrylic on plywood
'Interact IV', 170 x 110, 2020 3 layered epoxy resin with acrylic on plywood
'Interact V', 110x170cm, 2020 3 layered epoxy resin with acrylic on plywood
'Interact VII', 110x110cm, 2020 3 layered epoxy resin with acrylic on plywood
'Interact VIII', 110x170cm, 2020 3 layered epoxy resin with acrylic on plywood
'Composition II', 110x85cm, 2019 3 layered epoxy resin with acrylic on plywood
'Composition III', 110x85cm, 2019 3 layered epoxy resin with acrylic on plywood
'Composition IV', 110x85cm, 2019 3 layered epoxy resin with acrylic on plywood
'Composition V', 110x85cm, 2019 3 layered epoxy resin with acrylic on plywood
'Composition VI', 110 x 185 cm, 2019 3 layered epoxy resin with acrylic on plywood
'Composition VII', 110x170cm, 2020 3 layered epoxy resin with acrylic on plywood
art number 23 London • Athens
Art Number 23 is a London based organisation with two physical Gallery spaces in London and in Athens and also a Virtual Gallery! We are organising art exhibitions in all our Galleries and we invite artists from all over the world to share their work with us and participate in our shows! The aim is to create opportunities, in order to encourage and support artists to exhibit and promote their work.
'Anthroposynthetic'
exhibition catalogue