State Exhibition on Paintings and Sculptures, 2002 - Prof. Dr. Adnan Turani
State Exhibition on Paintings and Sculptures, 2002
Prof. Dr. Adnan Turani
The place of birth of State Exhibition on Paintings and Sculptures is the
Atatürk's Ankara. The year of birth is 1939. Since then, this art demonstration
has been organized without any interruption. The aim is to exhibit and introduce
the selected works of Turkish plastic artists and to instruct our community in
the field of fine arts. The State Exhibition called with its current title was
first organized in 1939 with the invaluable efforts of distinguished Prof. Suut
Kemal Yetkin, the General Director of Fine Arts within the period of Hasan Ali
Yücel's Ministry of Education, and as far as I can remember, a fine arts
periodical was also issued, though only in six volumes. From its foundation to
1975, the general Turkish artistic trends, technical experiences and personal
wills were able to be determined at State Exhibition on Paintings and
Sculptures. However, after 1975, the above-mentioned significant names of
Turkish painting and sculpture began not to participate to this exhibition and
thus this important event lost, to some extent, its proximity to reflect the
general modern level of Turkish painting and sculpture. And up to now, it has
maintained its identity as an official exhibition which largely represents
increasingly only the works of the younger generation.
It may not be exaggerated to indicate that the State Exhibition on Paintings
and Sculptures is one of the greatest and most comprehensive demonstrations of
Turkish plastic arts. Although many works sent to exhibit are eliminated on a
large scale, the quality and quantity of the selected works are of an
outstanding and non-ignorable nature. This year, the amount as twice as those
sent to the exhibition management in Izmir and Istanbul has been sent to Ankara
by the artists of this milieu. This interest is undoubtedly very satisfying, and
several and positive factors should underlie this. When the works sent to
exhibit are examined, it may be well observed that the modern trends of the
Western world are closely followed and also the ceramists are encouraged to deal
with sculpturing.
We can definitely and scientifically determine today that the Turkish art of
painting and sculpturing has been maintained in an academic impressionism and a
culture of Andre Lhote and Leopold Levy academism. After 1960s, until now, it
may also be set forth that almost all artistic movements of the western world
have been dealt with. After 1970s, the American pop and abstract expressionists
have also been a main point of focus. Briefly, the things thought and done in
the western countries still raise large interest in Türkiye without any delay and
leave traces in the attempts of artists. In addition to all this, there are also
persons to seek an individual path by evaluating the possibilities of the
western cult of paintings in accordance with their own synthesis. We can
apparently observe such tendencies in the exhibition of this year. It is also
seen that satisfying studies have been recently carried out in the field of
print paintings. The studies in the field of sculpturing do not surpass the
experimental studies exhibited in the International Paris Youth Biennial
organized in 1965. However, it is well observed that how those practicing in
this field deal with the technical difficulties in this respect. In the field of
ceramics, a large interest and effort, and several and, to some extent,
interesting researches may well be witnessed.
The general quality and success of the exhibition is the evidence of efforts
spent by the artists and the organizers. We extend our gratitude to all of those
participant artists due to their contribution to the general experience and
improvement of Turkish plastic arts.