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I was born and raised the son of an Armenian father and a Greek mother in
Istanbul, Turkey, the old Byzantine city of Constantinople. At an early age I
started working on canvas and discovered texture. The surface of a stained and
weathered wall; the bark of a tree; an old manuscript; a mosaic/ a fresco; a
Hellenistic or Etruscan temple or an icon - all fascinated me.
I choose "Bread" today because it includes all three elements of my statement:
texture, symbolism, and the ordinary object. I find texture in everything: in
our communication, in our environment, in our time, in the past, and in our
lives. It symbolizes time. I age things, for example by oxidizing metal
leafs, burning surfaces, or using found objects. I make them look deformed and
more used than before. They then become more expressive.
Some of the expressive forms I use are symbolic, and some are not. They are
related to my time and my past. For example, soil and sand, represents peace
for me. It can be shared, instead of fighting over it. It also symbolizes
immigration, setting, and the beginning of a new life.
"Bread" has endless symbolism as well, beside being the ordinary and the sacred
one. It is ordinary for the lucky ones which use it daily in their lives. It
is an earthy phenomenon which symbolizes life. The formation is endlessly
intriguing. Closely looked at, it is like traveling in a metaphor.
I like to challenge the ordinary. The one that we use, see, and don't pay any
attention to at all. By restricting myself to a single form, I find the
creativity of discipline. Technique becomes a companion, not a stumbling block.
The form evolves with the message, and the message evolves into a larger scale.
The notion for the "Bread Series" started in 1976, and I have been developing
the actual works since 1992. In the "Bread Series", I use a variety of textural
elements on the canvas, including bread, either burned or not burned, which is
chemically preserved into an immortal durability in a month-long process, as
well as burlap, wire mesh, modeling paste, acrylic paints, and other found
objects to create a textural and symbolic metaphor.
If my work remains in someone's mind, and touches someone's heart and soul, my
statement is complete. I am grateful for the opportunity to share my work
with you.
Go to the Dean's Gallery home page
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