Turkish painters

1940s

 

Between 1938 and 1943, the State sponsored artists travel to Anatolia. During these trips all the material was provided by the State. 58 artists made trips to 63 provinces and 675 canvasses were produced as a result of the tours.

 

Turgut Zaim(1906-1974), avoided all western influence and practiced an art of a purely national character that used techniques from popular, old Turkish painters. He is a painter of Turkish folklore using scenes of rural life as his favorite themes. He had a touch that was skillful and naive at the same time. Refik Epikman(1902-1974) and Cemal Tollu (1899-1968) brought abstract Cubism to the subject of Anatolia. Muhittin Sebati has left behind some of the scenes of the new capital, Ankara.

 

Although Turkey did not enter the Second World War, the 1940s were lean years. The 1930s were focused on national defense leading to the 1940s being a cold, grey period. Paintings of the period reflect these scarcities.   

 

In 1940, Nuri Iyem, Ferruh Basaga, Avni Arbas, Hamet Akal, Selim Turan, Agop Arad and Abidin Dino united together calling themselves the 'New Group’. This group accused the 'D Group' that they just copy styles and technique of European Painting and because of this they could not support the development of Turkish art. The 'New Group' initiated a deeper commitment to expressing social problems in art and dismantled in 1957.

 

In 1946 another group by the name of ‘ten people’s group’ emerged and they enriched the Turkish art with their new styles. This group was formed by ten students of Bedri Rahmi Eyuboglu, and continued to work together as a group until 1956. The years of 1945 to 1950 brought about new developments, divisions, and transformations and established a new period in Turkish culture and art. In the 1940’s, abstract and expressionism predominated in Turkish painting.