The transition from Ottoman miniature
painting, based on a traditional culture
of belief, to an understanding of art
in the Western sense began at the end
of the 19th century and was integrated
into the Turkish society by the group
of artists known as the “1914 Generation.”
Artists’ associations, founded during
the new revolutionary excitement of
the time began holding regular exhibitions
in Istanbul and Ankara. The first state
Painting and Sculpture Museum opened
in Istanbul in 1936. In that year, with
the participation of artists from across
the nation, the museum held its first
annual juried painting and sculpture
exhibition, a tradition that continues
today.
Examples of Modernist painting, which
had been dominant in Europe since the
end of the 19th century, began to appear
in Turkey shortly after World War II.
In their quest for greater freedom and
originality, Turkish artists beginning
to incorporate European influences in
their work.
The Turkish society underwent a number
of transformations in the 1950s. A new
openness and developments in communication
technology were great factors in the
rapid changes that could be seen in
the works of the Turkish artists at
the time. Many of artists traveled to
major cities abroad and achieved success
in their new settings. They attempted
to gain a place for their inspirations,
influences, and aesthetic concerns in
the artistic debates taking place in
the metropolises where they lived. The
numerous Turkish artists living in countries
such as Germany, the United States,
France, Holland, and England were the
standard-bearers of the movement that
created the foundation for Turkey’s
current artistic sensibilities. |
