Turksik Cubist painter, Erkut Terliksiz, is ready to open Isola, a brand new sequence of work within the Italian capital of Rome at Dorothy Circus Gallery. This assortment of eight works embodies each Erkut’s modern method and the fabric analysis of his approach, which blends the idea of error with that of growth. As he himself explains, his work begins with a blot, and for Erkut, the primary rule of portray is that there are not any guidelines. The origin of the portray is experimental, however it’s the viewer’s interpretation that completes its mission and infuses it with which means. Leveraging the precise aspect of the mind and drawing on the seeds left by Picasso and George Condominium, Erkut expresses himself with a whimsical exploration of absurd eventualities, wealthy with surreal figures rendered in thick and daring brushstrokes that, grouped within the middle of every composition, create a dynamic focus.
Dorothy Circu Gallery: What sparked the creation of the Isola sequence, and the way does this theme in its italian which means resonate along with your private inventive journey?
Erkut Terliksiz: I feel every part began with the pandemic. I used to be dreaming of being on an remoted island with my household. Then I started to color figures, castaways on this remoted island, which gave me a variety of freedom in my latest work—blue skies and countless seashores and journeys.
The time period Isola interprets to island in Italian. Is that this in reference to the idea of isolation or insularity performs into the themes of your new sequence?
I have been dreaming about islands rather a lot these days, which has been fairly liberating. Islands, to me, are locations of laughter and pleasure; they maintain tales inside their quiet corners. Being on an island means isolating oneself from the hustle of actual life—it’s a pleasant escape from the every day grind and the bizarre issues that litter our day-to-day life. This sense of isolation deeply resonates with the themes in my new sequence, the place each bit invitations viewers to seek out freedom and luxury away from the same old.
In lots of your artworks, you depict teams of characters carefully gathered, usually engaged in some type of exercise or sharing a second collectively. Is that this a reference to the idea of neighborhood?How would you describe the neighborhood you’re a part of?
Completely, displaying teams of individuals with totally different feelings lets me inform totally different tales. Sure, typically these teams appear to face other than the remainder—like little islands of their very own. It is one thing we see rather a lot as of late. In all places you look, individuals are experiencing their very own sort of isolation, even after they’re collectively. My work usually present that, regardless of being shut, there’s nonetheless a way of distance amongst us.
In different works we really feel friendship and household do these scenes goal to convey a way of belonging or are they reflective of familial ties?
Being a full-time artist means a variety of isolation, and I have been working rather a lot these days. In a means, I miss being with individuals in every day routines—buddies and crowds. They have an inclination to seem in my work, I assume. My son is 6 years outdated, and watching his character develop is extremely inspiring as an expressionist dad. His pleasure, ups, and downs present up in each portray. Additionally, it is inevitable to see the reflections of the collective reminiscence of our shut and family members. With the ‘Isola’ sequence, I feel I’d wished to share these emotions of each isolation and connection. Every portray explores the combination of solitude and togetherness, drawing on each private experiences and the shared reminiscences all of us maintain.
What do you hope viewers take away from experiencing your Isola sequence?”
As I paint intuitively, my portray course of usually begins with an accident or a stain. These ‘accidents’ permit me to see and really feel totally different feelings, tales, and compositions. For the reason that origin of the portray is as experimental because it will get, the narrative evolves in line with the viewer’s interpretation. Their contributions form the story from that time ahead. With the ‘Isola’ sequence particularly, I goal to move viewers right into a realm of fascinating characters and mysterious narratives. By this assortment, I hope viewers discover themselves drawn into the distinctive tales and feelings evoked by each bit, in the end experiencing a way of marvel and reference to the surreal landscapes and characters inside.
Your works resembling Dungeon, Mars opening celebration, and Exodus recommend a story depth. What tales are you telling by these work?
Dungeon represents the ethical decay of society—distress changing into one thing bizarre and regular. After I first noticed Otto Dix’s portray The Seven Lethal Sins’ (1933), it shook me! It is considered one of my all-time favourite work. Dungeon is sort of a tribute to that piece.
Mars Opening Celebration (above) is a celebration scene with a lot of figures, every with their very own story. There are totally different faces, totally different emotions. And sure, the one with the large nostril does signify Elon Musk not directly. The horizon you see is Mars’s horizon.
Exodus is stuffed with hope. It reveals individuals shifting or altering locations to outlive. We have all heard so many heartbreaking tales these days. We really feel their grief and ache deeply. This portray is a mirrored image of our occasions, capturing the struggles and resilience of individuals.
Every bit within the ‘Isola’ sequence maintains a constant dimension, however the themes range enormously. How do you determine on the composition and shade palette for every work?
The primary rule of the portray isn’t any rule.
No plans no boundries. In my work, I actually glide. It is like every portray is a journey the place the colours and shapes simply come collectively on their very own. I consider it as improvising with nature—the place every brushstroke and shade alternative can deliver a shock. I at all times let these little unintentional moments on the canvas information me; they usually flip into probably the most attention-grabbing components of my work. And I don’t stick to at least one canvas at a time; I’m often juggling a number of totally different items, every various in dimension and story. It retains issues thrilling and contemporary for me.
Your work has usually been in comparison with George Condominium’s reimagining of Cubism, and your ‘Isola’ sequence continues to push the boundaries of this inventive motion. Might you share how artists like Condominium or different actions have influenced your method? Moreover, how do you mix these inspirations along with your distinctive visions of nature, the earth, and human existence to create such a distinctively surreal and emotionally impactful scenes?
Artists like Picasso, Condominium, and Guston are enormous inspirations for me, amongst others I deeply admire. Their work has influenced my inventive journey considerably. You see, I method artwork with a visually highly effective thoughts, tapping into the depths of my proper mind, which is a powerhouse of creativeness. However I can say that, looking for my very own aesthetic the place there are such legendary figures and masterpieces hasn’t been simple. It has been a journey of exploration, the place I’ve devoted a variety of time to discovering my very own language of expression—one which, I imagine, speaks to the depths of human emotion and expertise, mixing surreal parts with the uncooked great thing about nature and earthly existences.
Isola opens on June 21, 2024 in Rome.