Before discussing the historical and intellectual progression of abstract art and its impact in Turkey, I’d like to define the term “abstract.” In its literal sense, abstract refers to something that cannot be perceived by the five senses, that is non-material, yet believed to exist as a concept, a non-object with no physical form or mass that we acknowledge as real or accept in essence.
When considering the use of abstraction in art, it can be described as art that processes visuals unperceived by our senses or unfamiliar to sensory awareness. Generally, abstract art is defined as art that, instead of depicting real objects found in nature, uses forms and colors in non-representational or subjectively representational ways.
At the beginning of the 20th century, artists within the framework of Western art aimed to eliminate “representation,” a core principle of traditional art. They chose to convey emotions through lyrical or geometric expressions with the support of color, essentially removing representational forms. In this context, Wassily Kandinsky is one of the earliest examples, focusing on color and shapes and thus paving the way for an intrinsically abstract pictorial expression. Kandinsky believed art extended beyond everyday life, reflecting an infinite spirit and a universal soul. Moving away from imitating nature, he aimed to reveal the nature of objects and colors, expressing their inherent spirit and the spiritual forces connecting the visual world and art.
Artists interested in abstraction within Western art include Piet Mondrian, Robert Delaunay, Kazimir Malevich, Jean Arp, Wols, Jackson Pollock, Nicolas de Stael, Mark Rothko, Hans Hartung, and Antoni Tàpies.
The endeavor of abstraction to eliminate representation has been a topic of ongoing consideration among art historians and critics. Although a clear definition remains elusive, thinkers tend to align into two camps: those who view technology and science positively and those who seek immutable, eternal forms that underpin nature and human consciousness.
Contemporary abstraction in modern art has found expression in two forms: geometric and organic/lyrical. Abstraction exists across many art movements, including Constructivism, Abstract Expressionism, Minimalism/Post-Minimalism, and conceptual abstraction. However, abstract art experienced difficulties and transformations, particularly post-1960 due to the aftermath of war. What had previously been viewed as revolutionary abstract art was now criticized by young artists as conservative. During this period, Pop Art, Op Art, and Kinetic Art emerged. Today, abstract art continues to thrive. According to Heartney, “It would be hard to find an artist who shares the early modernist belief that abstraction reveals the invisible structure of the cosmos. Nor is it any easier to find an art critic or historian who sees abstraction as the inevitable result of the modernist revolution. Nevertheless, abstraction continues to develop. Though reduced to merely two separate traditions, both geometric and organic traditions—and many hybrids of the two—remain alive and well.” (Heartney, p. 68)
When we look at the role of Turkish painting within this process, we see that from the first quarter of the 1900s, it entered a period of formation in parallel with avant-garde movements in European painting. However, this interaction with the West became fully evident in the 1950s. Purely abstract work emerged with non-figurative painting by Kandinsky in the 1910s, but this development did not begin in Turkey until the 1955s.
The first abstract art exhibition in Turkey carried its own set of challenges. An attempt was made to introduce the public to an art concept they had never encountered before. In 1953, Adnan Çöker and Lütfü Günay held the first abstract art exhibition titled “Pre-Exhibition” at the Faculty of Language, History, and Geography. This was followed by a second exhibition at the Helikon Art Gallery in 1954. That same year, Cemal Bingöl held an exhibition consisting entirely of non-figurative works.
After 1960, abstract concepts gained significant acceptance in Turkey, and interest in abstract art increased, aided by the influence of State Painting and Sculpture Exhibitions and the D Group. Notable avant-garde Turkish artists of this period who produced abstract works include Zeki Faik İzer, Sabri Berkel, Halil Dikmen, Şems Arel, Nuri İyem, Adnan Çöker, Cemal Bingöl, Adnan Turani, Lütfü Günay, and Cemil Eren.
Artists working in abstraction can be categorized into four main groups: Geometric Abstraction, Lyrical Abstraction, Geometric Non-Figurative Abstraction, and Lyrical Non-Figurative Abstraction.
Chronologically, it is best to start with Geometric Abstraction. For example, Hamit Görele chose to create a plane on canvas with symbolic object forms transformed into large flat surfaces. Concentrating on color, he filled sharply defined geometric forms with pure colors. “Furthermore, the shapes seen on the canvas were not determined during the working process; instead, they were adopted without further inquiry. Thus, Görele’s abstract paintings are included among geometric abstractionists as they contain symbolic object forms rather than purely abstract shapes. We can observe in his paintings that the artist, while believing that painting is based on geometry, strived to avoid geometry’s rigid, nearly frozen formulas.” (Özsezgin, p. 56)
Nejat Devrim’s paintings are also typical examples of Geometric Abstraction. In his works, Devrim applied colors uniquely, aiming to create a free palette within a framework of abstract dynamics. In these paintings, which carry no trace of nature, colorism is strongly emphasized.
Lyrical Abstraction can be described as the expression and transmission of feeling through paint and brush. Often starting from an abstract natural image, a child, or an object, it resembles a ritual with an outcome even unknown to the artist. Examples include the works of Zeki Faik İzer, Abidin Dino, and Bedri Rahmi Eyüboğlu.
The third category under Turkish Abstract Art is Geometric Non-Figurative Abstraction. In this phase, Turkish Abstract Art followed the path of the West but developed later compared to Europe. In Turkey, a similar approach was adopted after 1953. Examples from this period include artists Cemal Bingöl and Halil Akdeniz.
The fourth and final category is Lyrical Non-Figurative Abstract Art. Nejat Devrim and Selim Turan, who settled in Paris in 1945, clearly align with this category. In one statement, Nejat Devrim said, “I continue the fragmentation process until there is nothing left.” He even stated that this fragmentation process should continue to the point of madness. Under the category of Lyrical Non-Figurative Abstraction, we can also include the motif-based colorism of France and the motif-based accidental colorism of America. Therefore, it would be fitting to expand this section to include Adnan Çöker, Mübin Orhon, and Zahit Büyükişliyen.
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