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Neslihan Catto ediciones godot
PORTRAIT OF AN ARTIST AS A STORYTELLER By Diane Cochrane For Neslihan Catto, Shakespeare’s line
to New York City as a teenager, she
that “all the world’s a stage” might be
pursued this preoccupation on paper.
the words she lives by. Ever since she was a child in Turkey, she has covertly
Her passion became making charcoal
watched people. Overt staring would
portraits; her subjects almost
have been inappropriate for a properly
exclusively strangers. Family and
brought up girl in Turkish society. But
friends get short shrift from her talent
she desperately wanted to unravel the
because she fears she could manipulate
stories that lie behind the facial masks,
the drawings to satisfy her penchant
to understand what roles these actors
for telling stories. She wants fresh
were playing. And after immigrating
eyes to reveal the person’s unique
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qualities, not preconceived ideas. Still,
rather than descriptive. She strives
staring at strangers wasn’t any more
for psychological expression—either
acceptable in America than in Turkey.
her subject’s or her own or perhaps
And working from photographs didn’t
both. The drawings sometimes
provide an answer either; “there isn’t
concentrate on unpleasant aspects of
enough spontaneity for me.” Searching
the human predicament—fear, anger,
for an endless supply of models, she
tension—emotions the viewer can
discovered the perfect solution at The
identify with even though recognition
Art Students League, one of New York’s
can be appalling. Imagine this writer’s
most respected art schools with an
shock when she first encountered Self-
alumni list that is a veritable Who’s Who
Portrait, drawn during a particularly
in American Art..
unhappy time of Catto’s life, and saw the disturbing vision of her own face
As a young woman, Catto studied at
reacting to depression.
CUNY and at the League, married and had two children. Then about twenty
The characteristic intensity of Catto’s
years ago she returned to the art school
portraits is heightened by an uneasy
just so she could paint and use its
frontality.
models. The result is a series of maybe
Artists from sculptors of the anguished
100 extraordinary charcoal drawings,
last days of the Roman Empire down
some of which are now in corporate
to expressionistic painters, such as
and private collections. Others have
Egon Schiele and Alice Neel, of our
been exhibited at universities and
own angst-ridden era have employed
cultural centers in New Jersey and
this device to reveal the man behind
galleries in New York City.
the mask. The frontal stare of Catto’s models forces total consideration of
Catto’s portraits look beyond
every detail and its place within the
appearance; they are interpretive
composition. Brows are furrowed;
eyes deeply set; mouths pinched. But
social standing—what the world has
it is the face as a whole with its terrible
done to them and their reaction to it.
tensions that set the viewer on edge. There are few cast shadows so the
“As I look I get down a story about
subject seems pinned like a specimen
them—I might connect them with
under an unblinking light.
someone else I know with the same facial characteristics, for example or,
At the beginning of the session, Catto
depending on my mood at the time,
walks around the model. “After all, a
my impression might reflect how I feel
person is three-dimensional—I can’t
about them.” This first impression is
look at the model from just one angle.
essential to Catto and she sticks with
I might see a feature from the side that
it. “It’s not a complex analysis—just my
will make all the difference. “The way
natural instincts kicking in.”
they blink their eyes, a smirk, a sloping cheek--something that I will probably
Next comes the process, and for Catto
exaggerate later.”
the process is everything. She sits flat on the floor in front of the model.
Capturing innate and often awkward
“This gives me a view from the neck
but distinctive gestures found in the
upward.” The musculature in the
slight contortion of a mouth, or a
upper body and neck can be a dead
curious shy smile gives Catto a sense
give away in determining whether the
of who they are. They unconsciously
model is comfortable, in a bad mood or
assume their most characteristic poses
whatever. In fact, she is more likely to
which proclaim their character and
focus on these muscles at the beginning
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than on the eyes or nose. John for example, seemed an aggressive and
To accelerate the process, Catto doesn’t
flamboyant gay dressed in leather hot
want to think about materials. So she
pants. His taut neck muscles, however,
uses only the most basic: acid free, 50%
told a different story. “He’s rigid like he
rag, no-frills drawing paper and Ocaldo
just swallowed a tack.”
black and white charcoals. “These are really like black and white pastels.
Most striking about the process is the
They’re not forgiving or erasable—I
urgency with which she approaches
use white as my eraser.” It covers the
the job of communicating her ideas
myriad fingerprints she leaves on the
of the individual. “I work very fast.
paper, as well as large mistakes. When
I can’t draw slowly—I would lose
Catto began Robert, she originally
concentration. This way I get lost in
drew him with the full head of hair he
the drawing—I don’t feel my hand—it
possessed. Then, the image of Robert
is simply an extension of my eye.”
as a tyrant took over the creative
Launched headlong into a frenzy of
process. “You can still see where I put
drawing, she uses an economy of line
a block of white to flatten the hair. This
to initially map the face. A powerfully
was almost more work than the whole
drawn curve from ear to jaw-line might
drawing.” To complete the impression,
jump-start the portrait. Or it might be
she added small strokes of black
the arc of an egg-shaped bald head,
charcoal to his forehead to resemble
as illustrated in Bruce, that loads the
the curls of a Roman dictator.
enormous burden of the dome onto a prominent forehead. As she continues,
White also creates highlights, although
her drawing is remarkable for the
she uses it sparingly. “White gives
efficiency with which it composes and
feather-like touches to masses of hair,”
describes while making every feature
like those seen in Daphne. Down-
an element of expression.
turned mouths and drooping lips are
reinforced by rubbing white charcoal
way into a mask of hostility.
on the white paper. Interpreting a model’s personality Charcoal has a negative aspect,
doesn’t always come easy. “It’s either
however. “It is so dusty—its’ hard
there for me or it’s not. If I start
to keep the paper clean.” After she
to struggle, it doesn’t work.” But it
completes a drawing, Catto shakes
usually does. Her uncanny ability to
off the excess powder and sprays the
see through the cracks in outward
paper. Then she goes a step further
appearance is what makes her work so
when the drawings are framed. The
compelling. Take Bruce, for example.
portraits are double-matted with a 1/8”
Catto immediately sensed that the
space between the two mats, allowing
man did not want to model, especially
the dust to fall to the bottom instead
exposed in the nude--that he was
onto the outer mat.
doing it for the money. To compensate, he tried to exaggerate his manliness.
On one occasion, the dust produced a
The macho look expressed itself in
surprising side effect. As Catto settled
the confrontational stare and the
into her usual routine of sitting in front
nipple rings that shouted his ability to
of the model, Daphne immediately
withstand pain. Walking around him,
began to complain that she was
Catto was struck by the tightness in his
getting dusty and demanded that the
neck and the line beneath the ear, one
artist stop. Her outburst was all Catto
of the most sensitive and vulnerable
needed to decide on Daphne’s outlook
parts of the head. She twisted his neck
on life. Anger and distrust worked their
slightly to the left and squashed the
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ear, transforming a man affecting a
calmly watching the world and all its
calculated attitude of nonchalance to a
follies.
slightly bewildered one trying to put on a good front.
Catto sometimes wonders if her interpretations are on target. “I hope
Leslie tells a different story. Catto
I’m not making them up altogether. I
imagined her as a white-collar criminal
believe it really is them.” Her fears are
just released from prison. Her nicely
unjustified, according to one of the
styled hair and carefully plucked
instructors, Peter Homitzky, who does
eyebrows suggest respectability as do
know the models. “Catto nails them,”
the pearl earrings and necklace. But
he said without hesitation.
the tense set of the mouth, the bitter bulges under the lip and the coarse
In the past, Catto has used other
and thickened neck reveal a darker
mediums and subjects. Large colorful
side, while the eyes, not able to meet
oil still lives hang on the walls of her
the viewer’s glance, reflect fear and
loft in Jersey City. Nowadays she still
hopelessness.
considers painting, particularly people. “But a whole figure would distract
Mercedes represents the other end of
me. I would lose concentration. I
the psychological spectrum. Dressed in
also don’t want to think about color
a beautiful caftan with a colorful head
and composition. I have found my
wrap and fine gold jewelry, Catto found
medium.” And when her work satisfies
her strong and proud, a woman at ease
her, she says, “I bring someone home
with herself. “She also had a motherly
with me.”
quality, but you wouldn’t want to fool around with her.” To emphasize her regal bearing, Catto tilted her head back and turned her eyes upward, as though
It’s either there for me or it’s not. If I start to struggle, it doesn’t work.
Women
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Yunny
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