A Play of Light and Shadow is a tribute to Ara G眉ler (1928-2018), celebrated as 鈥淭he Eye of Istanbul鈥 and one of Turkey’s most legendary creatives. His love for the country and its capital city shines through in his evocative black and white shots of everyday scenes 鈥 from docks and fruit carts to people and streets. This retrospective is a close collaboration between Foam, Amsterdam and the Ara G眉ler Museum, Istanbul. It is the stunning centrepiece of K谋smet, a multi-year project delving into the diverse and intricate facets of Turkish visual culture, as seen through the lens of different generations of image-makers. The initiative has been created and developed in close collaboration between Studio Polat, Amsterdam and Foam.
A renowned photojournalist, G眉ler captured the essence of Turkey as well as the world beyond. His work focused on the experiences of people in the 20th century. He documented people鈥檚 lives as a visual historian, maintaining their memories through the still image. However, he emphasised: 鈥淚 am a photojournalist, not a photographer; I certainly am not an artist. I shoot what I see. I don鈥檛 do art. I transmit what is natural, what I see to people. That is called photojournalism. A photographer is very different from a photojournalist.鈥 For him, art could lie whilst the documentary offers a more honest reflection of reality. This impulse to capture the experiences of people truthfully took him all around the world, from Borneo to India and Iran to New Guinea. Undeniably, G眉ler was a driving force in Turkish image-making. In 1961, his work was presented in the British Photography Yearbook and he became the first Turkish member of the American Society of Magazine Photographers. His unforgettable images inspired generations of emerging photojournalists, such as Emin 脰zmen, who told the British Journal of Photography that G眉ler
Foam鈥檚 retrospective provides attendees with the unmissable opportunity to explore famous and little-known parts of his oeuvre. The show revolves around four sections: 鈥淭he Iconic鈥, 鈥淭he Historic鈥, 鈥淭he Ambassador鈥 and 鈥淭he Personal鈥. Through these key thematic gateways, visitors become immersed in G眉ler鈥檚 practice 鈥 from signature photojournalism to remarkable experimental work. In addition to capturing everyday life, G眉ler immortalised numerous renowned artists and political figures throughout his illustrious career, such as landscape photographer Ansel Adams (1902-1982), art critic John Berger (1926-2017) and former Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi (1917-1984). Despite producing work in colour and capturing famous faces, his poignant black and white pictures taken in 1950s and 1960s Istanbul are most renowned. For example, in Galata Docks, Istanbul (1962) a man reaches his hand out of a ship鈥檚 porthole towards a piece of paper handed to him by a woman standing on land. Elsewhere, we meet a diverse array of characters: ballet dancers, laughing children and mysterious figures silhouetted against the dockside seascape. In Apollo, author Kaya Gen莽 writes that:
Henri Cartier Bresson (1908-2004) conceived of 鈥渢he decisive moment鈥 as the instant when the most important elements assemble in front of the camera 鈥 the perfect opportunity to take the shot. Photography has the power to preserve one meaningful second forever. Although impermanence is a reality we must accept, these frozen images exist as striking anomalies. Within them, anything from personal experiences to historical moments may be stored and revisited for years to come. Saved as memory, they continue to spark nostalgia for times, people and places long gone. G眉ler offers a testament to his country鈥檚 history and a glimpse into the foundations of contemporary Turkish identity.
Foam, Ara G眉ler: A Play of Light and Shadow | until 8 November
Words: Diana Bestwish Tetteh
Image Credits:
- Mount Ararat, 1965 漏 Ara G眉ler / Ara G眉ler Museum.
- Old Galata Bridge, Istanbul, 1957 漏 Ara G眉ler / Ara G眉ler Museum.
- Galata Docks, Istanbul, 1962 漏 Ara G眉ler / Ara G眉ler Museum.
- The Golden Horn, Istanbul, 1955 漏 Ara G眉ler / Ara G眉ler Museum.
