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Art and Modern Art works of Yucel Donmez

by Yucel Donmez

Duygu Yasam

Yucel Donmez exhibited 11 sculptures in a harmony which he made in Quartat Valley of Altıparmak Mountains on the east of Turkey on the August of 1974. According to Donmez big stones that were shaped in centenarian cascading Quartat stream are already natural miracle sculptures. Donmez took the stones from the stream with the help of village people, he made studies on them and he applied placing in the valley (placing art is also known as Installation in art).
Yucel Donmez made a painting on 300 meter snow in Uludag- Bursa on February 1975 and he was given the title as a first artist in the world that makes painting on the snow. Both of his works were documented on art reviews and televisions in Turkey.
Snow Painting of Donmez has found a place in history as an example of placing art. In the exhibition of Donmez in Art Institute of Chicago Junior Museum in 1987, both of his works took place with information published by the museum.
Donmez named his art works that was done in nature as Natural Arrangement. In those times the artist gave the good news about arising Arrangement art in 90s, but he did not think this style will shake the world art. ..
During the art works of Yücel Donmez in Minnesota, America on November 1975, he gave place to inner site placing and in this way he had signature under the small size examples of Installation art…
In those years because different art other than painting did not take place in Turkey, some people found Donmez crazy and academicians found his works positive but also unnecessary; the reason was Donmez was not earning money from his art.
Yucel Donmez was doing his art works in his studio in Chicago, America, when Installation took place in world art. Only art critic Alan Artner, who writes for Chicago Tribune journal, was interested in the works of Donmez. He wrote positive critique about Donmez’s exhibition in Triangle gallery on 1989 and he mentioned about artist’s natural placing. Also the writer of Chicago Tribune journey Margaret Sheridan brought natural arrangements of Donmez by an interview by the artist…
Nowadays Donmez’s works from 1970s has been brought up as a new art in world art platform. Even when Canadian artist Halloren took the placing with the name of Ice paintings to world as a first style in Chicago, 2008; in his writings in Chicago Tribune with the date of February 3 Alan Artner indicated that the works that are done by Halloren cannot even be prolongation of Donmez’s snow painting that were done in Grand Park, Chicago, 1993 and he criticized the works that are announced as a new art, which were done before by another artist…
Donmez performed 15 thousand square meter version of his Snow Painting work in Uludag in 1996 by the sponsor of Fuji Film-İstanbul. In 1987 Donmez came to Turkey with invitation of Culture Ministry of Turkey and he made special Snow Painting project in Uludag. This works was showed by Euro Vision through Europe televisions.
Yucel Donmez thinks himself as a 21st century example of … Because Van Gogh was understood after his death, Donmez suggests that he has not been understood through the crooked art world; however his works couldn’t be reached easily after years… For some reason West art world generally has been interested in modernity from West. Recent years this concept has changed and now artists from all parts of world have taken the interest…
However this time some curators in Turkey, who think themselves as a prophet of art, do not see new art works that were done before them in Turkey and are interested in artists that have 3-5 years experience. Donmez associates this situation with directing young artists easily by the curators. In this case the function of artist has decreased. He indicates that because of theses reasons works that would be special to Turkey and would be example for West artist did not appear in Turkey.
Dönmez indicates that “Artists from Turkey are looked for which artists they are affected from West and their works that has effect from West are supported as ‘we can do art like West’. In this topic famous Sothebye Auction Company chooses artists with the same conception. Therefore they did not support new works in the world art but they support artists that are inspired by West and take them in their auctions”…
When Yücel Donmez opened his exhibition in The Art Institute of Chicao Junior Museum in 1987, he took advice of museum authorities and presented his own developed technique for paintings with 12 performances. American national television channel WGN showed Donmez’s exhibition and indicated that new technique and interesting style had come to whole America and world art. This channel showed this news for 2 minutes 30 seconds and repeated same interview after one day. Wgn gave” The Chicago’s Very Own” award to Donmez.
When Donmez said to museum authorities that his works can be copied by other people, they indicated that “You are participating into ‘The Art Institute of Chicago’ which is one of the important museums in America. Certainly some people will try to copy your works and while they are making copies your value will increase”. Also they specified that Donmez can be copied like Jackson Pollock and De Kooning, and his technique and special style will become more important in future…
Some of the artists have begun to use Donmez’s technique at the end of 1990s. Furthermore 5 techniques that were developed by Dönmez has been used in Turkey and also in other countries by artists. These are not used as copies, artists has used techniques with their own interpretation…
Dönmez says that “I am happy to see that world art has begun to use my style. The reason is we haven’t seen any painter from Turkey has been copied by the other artists in world”.
He indicates that his works are not understood by the specialists who think themselves as prophets of art. He specifies that only Professor İsmail Tunalı, who is a famous art historian and philosopher, makes interpretations about his works and writes about Donmez’s paintings in his book with a great appreciation. Donmez says that “I wish somebody else like Professor İsmail Tunalı had discovered Van Gogh. In this case Van Gogh may have not entered into depression” and he indicates that real artist has the same chance with Van Gogh.
PROTES WORKS OF DÖNMEZ
Yücel Dönmez has not broken off Installation art and he has presented his arts for many times in Chicago. The artist who does not see the galleries in America very much says that “First I have to believe my works; therefore I focused on laboratory studies and have had the concern of making new things for the art. At the end I felt my success and today many of my works are seen around the world from many foreign web sites. I have got positive critiques and I am increasing my fan number. By the way people who make collection of my works; they really believe my art. People will remember me with my works that are carried to America, Turkey and many parts of the world.
The newest works of Donmez are Protest art which was named by him. While Donmez indicates that protest art has been applied differently by numerous artists, he suggests that protest art is evaluated into Modern art, but his works bring a different interpretation to this style.
Dönmez’s new works that question capitalism series and global justice are like the few visual presentation of topics that need hundred pages of explanation.
Dönmez explains his works as; “When I look I see that artists are doing something about Installation with their interpretations. Most times the works of artists are not understood clearly. We have to think that if an art is not understood, how it can be effective. When people see my works with the name of Protest art, they are smiling and saying that “no need to words, everything is so clear” . I believe that when next generations will look at those works, they will see how artists make critiques about the time that they live in and they will interpret their time according to art works. If I did my capitalism series works in America or Turkey in 1950s, they would leave me hungry. Nowadays there is not much more reaction, however artist has to say his thoughts and give positive messages to society by his works. In my capitalism series art, I am giving the message to Capitalist world that there should be done effective make up to capitalism and beliefs of people should not be indexed on money. This is a artist attitude and the symbol that art can be effective on social life. ..
I work on new versions of my Protest art in my video performances. I think being human is an award and we have to deserve this award. Politicians have to think like this, also artists and businessmen….
Unfortunately life award given to people can be taken without any reason and we cannot stop this. In this case injustice appears. Injustice has reached the level that even history can be meet with injustice; lies, deceits, brutality forestall justice…”
In new works of Yücel Dönmez, he questions global injustice. It can be sufficient to look his arrangements of justice scale with his interpretations. I do not think reading lots of pages will be effective as his arts.
As Professor İsmail Tunalı’s writings, Dönmez’s level could not be reached easily in world art today and understanding Dönmez is not easy as seen. Therefore Professor İsmail Tunalı announced Dönmez as National Painter of Turkey. Also Dönmez has taken his place in American art as Turkish- American artist… People who carried him years ago to American art literature indicated that they did the right thing.

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