UNIVERSAL / PERSONAL

About

We have given different names for different times of paintings according to their social, political and religious issues and impacts. Tradition changes with the time and evolves through social and cultural changes. Hence, the question about tradition always comes in my mind: what tradition means and what are the limitations?

Personal/Universal’ contains works of contemporary artists who are trained in the technique of miniature painting. It is amazing to relate with this rich history and take this technique as a departure point of their practice. These practices are tied up with artist’s own personal vocabulary, which is not necessarily coming from their art trainings but can be from their intense experiences of their lives or influences and inspirations from surrounding cultures, or social/political changes.

This discussion about tradition seems meaningless when you see no limitations and exploration of the technique on an extreme. When human hair replaces the fine brush of squirrel tail, hair isn’t used to apply paint but is used for embroidery on fabric and sometimes even on paper. Where aggressively drawn graphite stroke is not a graphite stroke it’s a carefully painted paper and that graphite stroke is slowly painted with very fine brush. These opposite acts become meditative.

One tradition is submerged with the other in such a contemporary way; the word ‘miniature’ is stuck with one’s mind and we see everything in a small size. Heavy terracotta bricks then become a tiny miniature brick.

In this universal kind of art scene nothing is as personal as no other can relate to it from another part of the world. Quick exchange of information, globalization… Now symbolism and signs have become familiar to everyone in this small world. Because of this acceptance of new things/exotic, the urge to learn and increase one’s knowledge is increasing.

It’s the same in these days, how we have seen it in the past, inspirations, and influences travel from one place to the other and become a part of some other place. Its like the mark of embroidery tries to become real. It is the same meditative way of doing it. Where piles of paper contain millions of words. Where sound of making art says a lot to you. Yes this personal is all universal.