An Artist’s Notebook
Date: 6 - 31 January 2020
Place: Rustem Bookstore, Nicosia
Curator: Zehra Şonya
Artist : Günay Güzelgün
About Exhibition
Pattern and, line with its simple meaning is the unique foundation of an artist's order of symbolic relationship with nature and environment. Therefore, as a tool, they form the indispensable stylistic values that are the basis of the plastic arts.
Artists' sketchbooks reflect the creation process of artworks. On the other hand, the patterns not only involve the research process of artists but also involve the way how they approach an event or phenomenon and, the improvement and transformation processes. Moreover, the patterns make it possible for the artists to concretize their thoughts and carry these thoughts to a perceivable level. Sometimes, we witness artists embodying and conceptualizing their senses from an abstract line or a meaningless doodling. For most artists, the examination and follow-up of the patterns, which turn into a daily or note-dropping method, can be more exciting and instructive than the final result.
In plain words, it is much more possible to see and understand the inner world of the artist through patterns. It is possible to say that these patterns that the artist draws only for himself/herself indicate that there is no self-censorship, that the limits are melted, the anxieties disappear and that s/he can discover and reveal himself/herself, his/her emotions and thoughts, and even the subconscious, from the beginning and create another form of existence. The patterns of Günay Güzelgün carry all of the processes expressed and beyond, also point to the unknowns about the inner world.
In the patterns of Güzelgün, human/female figures take the lead, while portraits form another area of interest for Güzelgün. Once more, her relationship with her environment and, her research/notes regarding this matter develop in relation to the value she attaches to the nature and culture of Cyprus. In this context, she gives place to flowers, animals, village life, houses, roofs and finally landscapes. In some of her artworks, on the other hand, one can observe political attitudes and satires.
As seen in her patterns, Güzelgün studies an object or character more than once analyzing it in many ways, and goes through all the cards and then ends the pattern according to the intensity of emotion at that moment. Following her patterns that have many lines, Güzelgün lands up with a sense of plain line in her work. In her quick drawings, the artist's energy and inner density, combined with her aesthetic knowledge, turn into dashed lines, notches and stains. Lines, notches and stains settle on the surface with gaps and disconnections left on the floor. Despite the gaps created on the surface, the creation of the characters, the details in the facial expressions and the aesthetic arrangements of the line indicate how much the artist absorbs and internalizes certain things. The drawings that Güzelgün describes as doodles create the effects of swirl and chaos. Later on, these doodles unveil and, turn into a unique perspective and sense of composition therefore they create the basis of landscape drawings. This structure, which will become more evident in pastel and watercolor paintings, essentially results in the artist's inner blurring and dead ends, creating her own universe and world.
We are to present three different solo exhibitions of Günay Güzelgün whom has not had any solo exhibitions until 2020. A backward strategy is applied in the exhibition in order to let art lovers read the artwork easily as well as to experience and explore the process. Therefore, well known and acknowledged works of Güzelgün will be presented in the final exhibition. Without a doubt, the first exhibition which includes the artist's patterns helps viewers to observe the research and creation process of Güzelgün's works. The second exhibition, expected to be held in March, will present mainly pastel and watercolor paintings not only reflecting the way patterns and colour bond with each other but also the studies on coloring and the process of patterns towards their final state.
Artists' patterns hold clues on the processes and the artists' world. The exploration of these phenomena and, interpretation attempts on relationships lead the one to be more creative. If creating underlies the existence, then it is your turn.
Zehra Şonya
EMU Art Coordinator and Curator
