Multiplication, penetration, progression, and the inclination towards domination are words which can describe mankind’s approach not only upon facing Nature but also in one’s sociopolitical relations with other human beings. Mankind always tries to break the new grounds and extend the borders with regards to the very mechanism of everything by means of domination and possession, thus gaining benefit from it by doing so.
“But, how far can this interposition and dispossession continue?” one might ask. How can mankind’s footprints in Nature lead to change and alteration of humanity’s future path, alteration of Nature, and alteration of the way in which one human treats the others? After all, does the definition of border as we have in mind- that is, protecting a particular realm- still have the same status as before? Or, has it undergone changes through the passage of time, emerging with an utterly different visage? How, and to what extent, did the routine behavior and habits of mankind contribute to this change and alteration?
To begin, it might be better if I talk about the very origin of this idea. Following my professor’s recommendation to create artworks, when I tried to maintain my connection with Nature as much as possible, I allocated certain periods of time for going to mountains and forests in order to create works of photography. Throughout this period, I constantly stumbled upon scenes containing garbage and waste left by those who had previously visited that particular location. I recall a strand which was unraveled from a ball of yarn, with twists and turns which were forced upon it by the act of knitting as a result of which it was not straight anymore. With each blow of the wind, the strand would move to and fro in the midst of bushes and boulders; and, each time, it would coil anew around something new.
For me, this scene was the very genesis of a meaningful form, equally simple, and yet equally impressive. To me, that strand of yarn was a metaphor for mankind’s behavior when facing Nature. These are behaviors which penetrate into every nook and cranny, at times consciously and decisively, and at times in an aimless and directionless manner. They get multiplied. They coil around the objects of their surroundings. By means of manipulation and the disorder caused by it, they push Nature towards a new path.
Our progression in Nature and the way we leave footprints- either intentionally or unintentionally- is indeed like that strand of yarn. On the one hand, we try to liberate ourselves from the pressure caused by redlines. And, on the other hand, as a result of this liberation- which is accompanied by the creation of disorder in Nature’s mechanisms- Nature is hurt and harmed.
The current collection tries to challenge the aforementioned dialogue with a Formalistic viewpoint. This collection is a combination of different mediums such as painting, Installation Art and Land Art. By means of conceptualizing and embodying said scenes and sceneries in an abstract manner, the collection tries to invite the audience to think about the questions which were previously proposed.