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Self & Subject
Songul Aslanturk

Exibition by Lee Kogan

Realistic, abstract or contemporary… Portrait has always created curiosity that I would want to go beyond painting and analyze, try to see inner part of artist in brush strokes, color scheme and geometrical shapes. There is always a personal touch even in very realistic portraits. Little touch, either color or shape give us some secrets that artist would want us to figure out. Seeing these contemporary portraits made me go back to the days when I used to paint. I had painted few self portraits as well in the past. I was sometimes contemporary or abstract sometimes expressionist or realistic. But what I was trying in all of them was trying to share, scream, cry or just talk.

Self and Subject, I loved seeing portraits from Morris Hirshfield with lots of details. His neat and clean style with lots of details such as hair or his outfit are few clues about his personality. The little painting of cat chasing butterfly on the wall was kind of giving the same message-trying to reach the beauty. John Kane’s painting “Seen in the Mirror” reminded me my paintings from years ago. An unhappy man looking at himself in the mirror and not happy with what he sees. When I had emotional breakthroughs, I had painted myself in dark with few colors mostly bright orange or red to resemble my pain.

Anna Mary Robertson’s “Grandma” Moses has very calm atmosphere but her dark outfit and black chair and black dog add some unhappiness to the painting. Rest of the room doesn’t have much detail except the patterns of curtain and floor. The green pillow on the chair is hope to this complex. Basically all of the paintings had big impact on me but I was most impressed by Hugo Sperger’s self-portrait and Mose Tolliver’s Self Portraits.

Cancer patient paints himself behind a brick wall and looking out. Half his face is in the shadow. Wall is showing some part of his face as he is not certain if he will be in daylight for a while. His life hangs in balance. Orange color of brick and white head line make the painting look like a poster as he is giving a message and letting everyone know that his life is ending. And he signs it.

I loved how simple and clear Mose Tolliver painted these African faces. Circles in different sizes to describe eyes, mouth or nose are supported by combination of warm and cool color scheme. Eyes and nose are all around face. Nothing is in the right place. Scared person whose eyes and mouth are wide open is shocked by reality of life. These portraits reminded me once more time that as simple, and clear as you paint or design, better the message is given.As Nellie Mae Rowe, I wanted to go back to my childhood and be with nature and animals. I pictured New York City Subways and small shops when I saw Ralph Fasarella’s “Blind man”. It is enough to look at this painting to feel in New York City.

Each artist had something to say and they sad it in their unique ways and after each painting I realized how much I missed to paint. I believe that if a painting, design, photograph or film make me go and perform art, then it is a very successful piece.