Zaman Journal / 30 June 2000
Claude
Levi-Strauss, in one of his truly unforgettable conversations with
Georges Charbonnier, founds the artistic work as an 'intermediate
state' between language and nature. This foundation is, of course,
intended for establishing the semiological grounds of art. Yet, this is
in fact an orientation which can be extended out to the historical
grounds. And, I guess, Peyami Gurel is doing exactly this: he grounds
painting in a land of imagination where history of nature and history
of culture over lap, not where they diverge.
Long time has past, I know,
since Peyami Gurel opened an exhibition of his paintings at the foyer
of the CRR Concert Hall. However, I could not help writing on what I
think about his paintings, or rather on what his paintings made me
think about. Perhaps, I must point out instantly: I believe that the
construction of an 'original' painting tradition, just like in poetry,
may be possible only when we set out from the very problem imposed on
us by our intellectual history, which requires us to be Western and
Eastern at the same time. It would not be a mistake, from my
viewpoint, to say that so far only late Erol Akyavas, Peyami Gurel and
to some extent Balkan Naci Islimyeli represent such an originality.
Grounding painting not in a
land where history of nature and history of culture or civilization
diverge, on the contrary in a land of imagination where they overlap!
Perhaps, first, such an abstract statement needs some elucidation. The
intellectual (look at ) history shows us that nature and culture
have parted through technology ( using tools to produce tools) or,
perhaps, through language ( not language of communication but language
of imagination). It seems fhey diverged so as to never meet again, on
the condition that biological presence of humankind in nature can be
preserved. It is true the ways of culture and nature have parted.
However, art is capable of removing this tangible split in the plane
of imagination or conception. I think that what Peyami Gurel has been
trying to do is such an act of removal: bringing together, in art,
what have differed and parted in history. Joining nature with culture,
and in fact transcending ( both ). We can also call this, if
appropriate, a search for a primordial language, in which the real and
imaginary have not yet differed...
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I
must also add: This does not exhibit aesthetics of the kind mentioned
in 'The End of Modernity' by Giovanni Vattimo; but maybe it does!
Vattimo points out to the central role given to aesthetics by
Gianbattista Vico, who considers aesthetics to be "the source of
civilization and culture", and by the Romantics trailing him. Is
Peyami Gurel's view of painting such an aesthetization of culture and
civilization? I do not suppose so. If asked, I would say his is more
of transcendental: elevating nature's own writing ( which I call
'crude' writing ) and the writing of culture ( and 'refined' writing )
high above, if befitting, into a 'transcendental' writing. Peyami Gurel
is calling us to read this 'transcendental' writing.
What is this 'transcendental'
writing? (What is ) moving the 'crude' and 'refined' writing? Peyami
Gurel does not issue the references to read the 'transcendental'
writing. He only implies the 'transcendental' writing by blurring the
distinction between the 'crude' and the 'refined', and that is all!
Howewer, we can discover what this possibility summons for us by looking
at the very act of blurring or removal. Here, the use of word
'discover' is not coincidental! Since only through discovering what is
implied in this intent blurring, it is possible to comprehend the
essence of the 'transcendental' writing.
Yes, let us ask again: what
is this 'transcendental' writing that Peyami Gurel exalts. Is it the
writing of Levh-i Mahfuz? Is it the object of the primary and the
praised command of 'Read' (Iqra)? Peyami Gurel calls us to discover
the transcendental writing --if no 'writing' what there to 'Read'?--
that surpasses nature and culture, which Nietzche would call the
writing "that takes us to the heart of the hidden, to the mother of
existence". ( He calls us ) to read and discover. In fact, are they
not the same?
Peyami Gurel's paintings
render a scheme of allegorical elevation (surpassion, or should I say
'ascension' ) that show the precedence of writing to speech ; a basic
scheme.
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