Yörtürk Foundation

Moral outlay of all people society from the most primitive one to the most perfect one occurs from four component: Religion, language, custom and art. Like a society without religion, language and custom can not be, a society which does not have a private art for itself can not also be.

Art is the expression of sentiments and thoughts with a harmonious combination way by being mixed them.

Forming a work of art is undoubtedly related to the presence of an artist, namely the presence of the person who has the characteristics and ability to make this forming. Relating of art to an individual, seperates him from the other basic components which are the community of society in the first look. But, it is not possible to seperate the individual from the society and see him completely like an individual presence. Because, the source of the individual’s sentiments, thoughts and personality is the culture circle of his growing up area. That’s why all work of arts possess the signature of a culture and culture circle which is more important than the personality of the artist. This is to say, art is the expression of common sentiments, thoughts and liking of a society. This point not only explains that the work of arts in the same culture circle seem like one another, but also appreciates to the art a certificate character which reflect culture circle to the art.

CULTURE CRISIS AND ART:

That’s known that Turks widened and dominated to a great wide area connected with the natural, political, social and economic conditions. Arts of the Turks before the Islam has not been appeared yet with its all worth. But the examples that we know are the product of a rooted and perfect culture and mother of the art. Acceptance of the Islam is a turning point in Turk culture history. Islam, greatly affected to the ethnic group’s structures in its widened areas. All of the institutions of these societies completely changed according to the requirements of this religion. And art, as a social organization, could not stay out of this revolution. After changing old art mothers in Islam’s widened areas with Islamic principles, new architectural, decorative and literary forms and subjects appeared. But, those environmental natural historical political and economical conditions and relations with the neighbour cultural groups that appointed the characteristics of old artical traditions in each of these cultural groups, made it absolute to gain different from each other. So, the different arts and skills existed in the enlargement that the commun religion enriched and the union of theme and reality carried out.

By the way, some origins of Turkish art came in Islam world by way of Samarra; in India by the help of Ghaznians; dominated in Khorasan, Iran, Anatolia and Syria; influenced in Egypt and later, on one hand in sudan and all the northern Africa, on the other hand through the mid-Europa by Ottomans. In these several regions, natural, social, and economical conditions and historical heritage being different, caused to develop several branches from the same root; variation in every region and evoluation also showed some phases depending on political, social and economical conditions which changed time by time. Within these, the pure Anatolian school, its continuity and abundance of products are the most important with their value. Because, Turkish art, especially architecture continued only here without being spoiled and removed from its root by developing, went on till the XVIII.century. In the XVI. and XVII.centuries Turkish art, lived its classical period in all the branches of art. All the written works of this term, reflect the society whose modern level is high and prosperous. After the second part of XVIII.century, the effects of Garb started to be dominant day by day. Barac, rocoko and ampir methods ruled our art. The last century of our Empire is entirely a term of descent in the art as well as in the political area. Most of the architecture works belongs to the foreign architects.

The idea and excitement that give soul to the national struggle were effective in architecture as well as in Republic; a Neoclassical method started to be born. If this trend had reached an average to develop, a contemporary Turkish art could have existed. But the way of developing and leaving the underdeveloped level was tries at a cultural revolution. Religion, language, tradition and art that are four main institutions of our moral structure were forced from the root and destroyed. An understanding of being from Western whose aim is to remove all our ties of origin and import everything from the West made this returning to life drowned. The bigotry created by the ones who understand Republic as rejecting the past, destroying all the bridges between our past and present in the name of revolution, resulted in an opposite wat of national struggle’s soul and aim. We struggled meaningfully and nationally conquered the enemy troops and drave thme away; but we have been dependent of European culture. The cultural politics of Republic trem is clearly this.

Of course, the artic works of this term also reflects this level. Our degeneration of literature, music, painting and architecture in Republic term can easily be seen. The new state center, Ankara is an exhibition of architecture. The works exposed in this exhibition except neoclassic method were just bad coppies of West.

WHAT MUST OUR ART POLITICS BE?

As we mentioned above, art is also social institution and like the water in connected cases, all the social institutions are connected with one another. For this reason, as isolated from the other institutions of culture, it is impossible to express an idea only for art.

Just as all our social structure was totally and originally changed and got in trouble, in the same way, together all our social institutions at the art too, it isn’t possible “to return our origin by shaking and trembling.”

Returning to origin, of course isn’t just repeating the past in the same way. Technique, material, theme can be changed. It’s the remark and method that gives an art work its identity. To be able to come in this way depends on national conscious’ awakening and the nationalism to be the ruling idea, soul.

As we mentioned above, the artic work is the product of excitement and tension that a certain idea and opinion effected an artist. Therefore the work, reflects the idea the artist has and feelings that idea awakens. This subject is the same in all the branches of art. So no matter which art, each one effects the individuals and societies in the direction of its reflected feeling and idea and also directs them according to its strength and value.

Therefore, we can teach our new generations their origins in every way, get them to gain our common moral values, love of Turk and Great Turkey ideal; if we can have them excited and conscious of this, modern and dependant of origin Turk art can be born.

If Sinan hadn’t been brought up in this way, could he have been our Grat Sinan? Could he have created a Selimiye? Only this kind of an art will connect the individuals of our community.