The presence of an insignificant interval about twenty years betweenthe first phase of photography based on establishing apparent realities,and the first applications in Turkey, underlines the acceptance of thisnovelty without any resistance shown.
Painting has been prohibited and considered a sin in our country becauseof religious beliefs; however due to the efforts to show photograph asa technical novelty in Turkey, and of course in Istanbul, and at the sametime to the affinity of the Turkish people towards photography, sufficientmilieu has been formed for the establishment and development of this artin Turkey. In this exhibition all phases of Turkish photography were consideredevaluating various photografic expressions and a cross-section has beenformed with examples from Turkish photography.
An increase in photography studios in Istanbul and other cities wasobserved after Abdullah Biraderler / Brothers and after the 1900's. Thesephotography houses showing activity between 1910 and 1930, have made photographypossible to become an unavoidable piece of the daily life, and have repliedrather to the demands of curious surroundings. Although this first periodphotographs have mostly carried the quality of reproduction of the dayor time, formed out of worry by the photographer almost on a one on onebasis of the sites of city or nature surrounding him; when we look at someexamples taken by Abdullah Brothers, Othmar Pfershy or other photographers,it is easily observed that light is well analyzed, the photography squareis evaluated as a whole and no room is left for coincidence. We also observea good definition of the subject person in photographs taken at studiosand the obtaining of fantastic appearances from time to time with a landscape,interior of a room or something similar situated to the background. Itis obvious that the photographer has considered pleasing his customer,and has preferred to put him down on paper together with probable viewsof his daily life. A homogeneous frontal light was avoided, while a laterallight supplying the best of volume, form and deepness was preferred. Thisshows us that the photographer received a careful education in a relationof master and novice.
Although photography studios were in the hands of foreigners in thefirst years when Turks were interested in office or were in a war, manyTurkish photographers have been raised at these institutions, closed afterthe years of treaty, a photography house of Abdullah Brothers and ResnePhotography House founded by Rahmizade Burhanettin Bey in the 1910's. Theformation of photography tradition by the generations is thus summarizedtill the Declaration of the Republic. Since photographs, especially portraitphotographs have taken the role of documenting the memories of people forthe future generations, it should be accepted that the first photographersin Turkey have led to this function of spreading photography. Hence, thisfirst period of photography in Turkey has been called the period of documents.
However, one would have to wait for a long time before photography wouldgain an artistic identity beyond this basic function. Photography of documentand functional duty of this period are thought to have continued in thehands of photographers trained in the ateliers of previous masters. Thesecond period symbolizes a dynamic phase where the bases of a young republicwas founded and a new world view beginning to shoot in Turkey. During thisperiod, motion picture became an event entering the daily lives of thepeople. In parallel of this event, the progress on a conscious level, hascontributed to the new Turkish Republic benefit from photography in makingher own cultural propaganda. The touristic and cultural wealth in Turkeywas waiting as a material ready to be introduced under proper conditionsof the new period. The contemporary world had been using photography asa visual communication medium at the same time, and had been appreciatingits artistic accumulations. Great photography artists were about to havetheir talents accepted in respect to this art; photography appearing asa technical novelty in the middle of the last century, was taking thisnovelty to larger developments in waves of new possibilities. An ordinaryduty of introducing the beauties of the country to large masses, of risingthe consciousness level of the society, had been expected from photographyduring these first years of the young Turkish Republic. This generationwho has worked with little possibilities, has prepared an environment properto the cultural ideology of the Republic. The photographers of this generationhave seen the training of eye and spirit as conditions of becoming a goodphotographer and have tried to incline the eager youth in this way. Duringthese years we come across a mass of photographers on an amateur levelaround halkevleri / cultural centers. This fact is supplied by the photographylessons put in the Gazi Orta Ogretim Okulu / Ataturk School of Educationfor Secondary Level and Gazi Egitimi / Ataturk School of Education in 1937.
We may count Cemal Isiksel, Kemal Baysal, Sinasi Barutcu, Ihsan Erkilic,Sami Guner, Selahattin Giz, Namik Gorguc among the first photographersof the Turkish Republic, called the 1940 generation. Sinasi Barutcu isan important photographer of this generation with his influence and contribution.
While emphasizing the documentary aspect of photography necessary forthat period, this generation has led to researches of beginning in theart of photography in Turkey. Baha Gelenbevi was the leading figure. Towardsthe 1950's we see that especially the landscape photography had attaineda higher level with many amateur and professional photographers workingin this field. It could be said that a foreign born artist, Othmar Pfershyhas been the leader in landscape photography. The beauties in Anatolia,views of nature, architectural monuments which had not been photographedtill then, were used as a subject matter with different points of viewsduring this period.
The performance of the 1940 generation generally stands on documentarygrounds on one hand and on artistic efforts on the other, till 1960. Howeverthe rise in artistic efforts in the Turkish photography have been afterthe 1960's. During this period dominated by new generation, we come towitness contemporary photography shape its place to conditions and structureof Turkey. Zeki Faik Izer who had been the head of the photography departmentof the Fine Arts Academy, had drawn attention to photography in Fine Arts.
One must begin the new and personified generation of Turkish photographywith and international value, Ara Guler. As an artist, he brought the largestpermanent dynamism and artistic contribution to Turkish photography, andcreating a "school" with this purpose. Among other artists of the 1960generation, Nusret Nurdan Eren, Sabit Kalfagil, Ozan Sagdic, Fikret Otyam,Semsi Guner, Gultekin Cizgen, Sakir Eczacibasi, Sami Guner, Reha Gunay,Ersin Alok, Husnu Gursel, Halim Kulaksiz and Mehmet Bayhan who introducedand developed the theoretical side of photography, should be mentioned.Important samples chosen from artists of this period are women wearingan outdoor over garment sitting in front of the "Allah" writing in Arabiccharacters on the wall of Edirne Mosque by Ara Guler, the square of "Hands"trying to shape clay for ceramics by Sabit Kalfagil, the photography consistingof "Windmill and Human" seen in silhouette in front of navy blue sky byNusret Nurdan Eren, the photograph of a locomotive and its mechanic showingpersonal care pictured with a dynamic form by Ilteris Tezer.
The developments after 1960 cover special groupings due to points oftechnicality and appearance. Among these developments that could mean akind of appearance specialty, such as travel, tourism, sports, and experimentaland advertising photography start a debate on what photography should be.
Serious progress in promotional photography is caused by necessitiesof publicity borne with the increment of the capital sector, with the increasein the amount of large firms and with competition among firms. While moreinfluential ways of promoting products to the society has taken place throughthe increase in the amount of TV channels and increasing commercials, onthe other hand after interval of ten years a transition from arabesquemusic to pop music realized with the influence of commercials again onanother sector, the music sector. The use of billboards, magazines andnewspapers gained importance since productions and broadcasts on TV ofcommercials were quite expensive; many magazines and newspapers began topublish just to get a piece of the cake from advertisement revenues. Thuspromotive photography turned into a sector necessitating specialty in respectto its development. We can sense Gulnur Sozmen touches on the productionphase in her promotive photograph exhibiting "Workers" describing the workat a factory with which she focused on an industrial style.
While promotive photography is reaching a more contemporary understanding,the discussions between the documentary style and experimental photographyencounter the last period where photography has begun to be comprehendedwith an academic understanding.
The experimental style in Turkish photography begins with the effortsof academicians like Sahin Kaygun and Ahmet Oner Gezgin influencing futuregenerations, and creating discussions by forcing rules to change and bybringing up extraordinary works. The pictorial side of the works of SahinKaygun, and the works of A. Oner Gezgin forming a bond with sculpture,including search for the third dimension in photography, have a disturbingnature to documentary photographers. Artists from the following generationlike Merih Akogul, Orhan Cem Cetin were also known with their works towardscompleting the incomplete theoretical aspect of Turkish photography withthe influence of these efforts. The self-portraits of Nuri Bilge Ceylanand Mustafa Kocabasi have the quality of investigating the relations ofphilosophy with photography and are giving clues how experimental approachis actually documentary of thoughts.
Turkish photographers are keeping closely in touch with their westerncolleagues; while they continue their works in promotive, documentary andexperimental styles, they are trying to take place in the internationalarena with quality photographs remaining in the light of hot discussions.
Source: Turkish Photography Annual 1978