Öykü Kutlar
The body of work is a manifestation of my own disengagement with the self and my surroundings. Found materials and alternative canvases, juxtaposed with objects of sentiment, religious imagery and self-exploration through photographic and fine art processes are the components. It is melancholic in context, but hopeful and playful in its true nature.
The meaning of the word ‘home’ has been somewhat shrouded for me after moving to England. A place in which no one knows you can be liberating but also constricting, uncertainty and emptiness seem to gnaw at the ankles of everyday life. I make a vague reference to my now distant home by internalising the divinization of the relationship between mother and child through imagery of the Virgin Mary.
My work often forms organically, fed by imperfections that occur during the making process. I believe this inevitably adds a personal feel to the work. “Character” if you will. I use latex to create a skin-like texture to the background of the prints- often of my own body. Black ink on a murky, slimy, synthetic surface gives the work a visceral presence. Black and blue, as the old slang goes, means battered and bruised. These are frequent colours on my pallet to subtly underlay a notion of trauma. But the more rewarding quality of the blue shade of the cyanotype is that it feels instantaneously nostalgic, and somewhat romantic. It conveys a sense of longing. Almost a reminiscence of evanescing memories. The cyanotype printed pants and the pillow in many ways concisely unionises the underlying themes within this body of work.
Sexuality has always been a discrete motivation for my work. Exploring the relationship between mind, body, and sexuality is integral to my practice. As an isolated individual in an increasingly more isolated world, I inevitably became more familiar with my physical self in its most intimate setting (the bed). The bed feels safe. But equally so vulnerable. Separate from the world around me. The bed enables me to create my domestic space without the concept of a ‘home’. I aim to make intimacy tangible through metaphoric visuals such as the flower motifs, items of clothing or written pieces.
Contact Öykü Kutlar
- oykukutlarart@gmail.com
- @oykukutlarart