Folk Art and Block Prints
	Bedri Rahmi Eyüboğlu Embroidery is the equivalent of painting in folk art. There are millions of people who haven't seen a real painting in their lives but I doubt that there is a single dwelling, a set of drawers that haven't come across embroidery. When we look at the presence of embroidery in Turkey, one can say we have no rival. They banned us from creating images; and we got revenge by immersing ourselves in a unique abundance of embroidery. Whilst researching colour and shape in embroidery work, I stumbled upon block prints. It's been a year since I have been hunting down block prints, the art of block prints and their creators. Here is what attracted me to block prints: Firstly it has many similarities to the art of painting. Most are done on canvas, a kind of cloth, so are block prints. The cloth to be worked on is transformed into oilcloth with much difficulty. However no one can guarantee that it won't crack or flake, or disturb the paint applied onto it. On the other hand, the block print cloth won't part from its paints - even though it's used for things a painting could never withstand. A block print is not intimated by the sun, rain or mud. Unlike traditional paints used in painting, block print paints infiltrate the cloth; embodying it; becoming one. Take a portrait created by the most talented artist and try to use it as you would a block print. It would be impossible for the painting to endure those conditions. Of course, I mean block prints painted with natural colours. Paintings and block prints have something else in common: Actually this kinship is not from birth; nevertheless it's just as important. block print embroidery is first placed on wood, then painted just like a seal and printed on cloth. The same method can be seen in engravings, not only on wood but also on zinc, copper or stone. And they're printed on paper not cloth. Moulds are non-existent in the genesis of block prints. Our first block prints were created using a brush and true colours on cloth. But how could an artist, regardless of his/her swiftness, compete with the attention received by dyes that were resistant to washing and sunshine? I suspect that the Turkish idiom "basma kalıp / print mould" [meaning stereotype] is a present to our language from the block print benches. A block print bench that prints block prints with moulds would mean a small print house or a small printing factory. The spirit of block print is the selection of true colour and true form. True forms, the pride of our folk art, still exists in our block prints. The tradition of form still continues despite Covered Bazaar shopping. But in amidst this cacophony our true colour tradition has been lost. I feel that unless the government lends a hand to national art of embroidery, we will be destined only to observe these worldly valued true colours in museum halls. Any embroidery deprived of true colours is bound to have lost most of its resilience to exist. How can embroidery afraid of getting wet, being placed in the sun become integrated into our lives. However it's sad to see that rotten colours have reached the smallest and most distant of our villages. Unless the government accepts the issue of true colours as a national priority, let alone true colours, it will soon be impossible to even come across a single napkin, sock or an inch of hand woven carpets. There are still people who know and find true colours in several corners of Anatolia. Whilst examining these on one hand, one also needs to be prepared to reap the benefits of the science of chemistry. Much advancement has been made since we first developed true colours from plant roots and seeds. Naturally they are more expensive than the rotten colours but who in the world would want to expose a masterly woven rug, a kilim with rotten colours? I came across some of the true colours at the block print masters in Istanbul. I was so ecstatic to reunite with them finally, my face, hands and much of the rest of my body was covered in true colours for days. Not only my surface, they also reached my lungs, my daily life, the language I spoke. I woke up to this epic story whilst babbling about true colour and true form. It's impossible to set your self free from the hands of poetry. Folk art, colour, form, block prints, the kilts… Here is a saga about block prints: Söylemesi benden çalıp oynaması Sulukule'den Yazmacı güzeli Binnaz, hastır boyaları çıkmaz Çilçil olmuş boyadan koltuk altları Yıldız yıldız benleri var sayılmaz. Yazmacı güzeli onaltı yaşında Altı senedir tezgah başında Her yanı boya içinde ama alnı açık aklı başında Bir de karanfili var kulağının arkasında pembe pembe güler Yazmacı güzeli Binnaz Hem yazma basar hem şarkı söyler: Yazmacı güzeli Binnaz hastır boyaları çıkmaz. Her şeyin hası var bu dünyada Fırının hası var, ekmeğin hası Bahçenin hası var, insanın hası Çeliğin hası var, insanın hası Gel gör ki her şeyin hası çarşıda satılmaz.. Yazmacı güzeli Binnaz, hastır boyaları çıkmaz. Hele bir yeşili var zehir yeşili Bir defa bulaşmaya görsün yüzüne gözüne. Valiahi billahi çıkmaz Hamama da gitsen çıkmaz. Buna cehri derler cehri Aklına eserse alimallah sarıya boyar bütün şehri Cehri dediğin bir küçük tohum Kaynatırken buram buram temmuz kokar, tarla kokar; bal kokar.. Buna kırmız derler kırmızı değil Çini maçinden gelirmiş fi tarihinde Kırmız dedikleri küçük bir böcek Buğday gibi ekilip biçilerek Hasadı yapılırmış fi tarihinde. Buna al makam derler buna mor Neyin nesi olduğunu Şaban ustaya sor. Şaban usta Üsküpten gelmiş, geleli otuz yılolmuş Üsküdar'da Fıstık ağacında bir tezgah kurmuş Aklını fikrini yazmaya vermiş. Dili birazcık Üskübe çalar Mesela gel bir yemek yiyelim, demez de Yiyelim bir yemek der... Şipşak bir sofra kurulur Tezgahın üstüne bir yazma serilir Bir yumrukda iki baş soğan kırılır Dört beş kalem pirzola, burcu burcu kekik Sanki ömrümüzde yemek yemedik. Kaynar kaynar balmumuna daldırır Ihlamur ağacından oyarlar kalıbı Bir kalıpta onbin yazma basılır Kalıp deyip geçme, yürek ister, bilek ister, göz ister On binle çarpılır birin ayıbı Kalıbın hasını da Hanımyan oyar Hanımyan altmış beş yaşındadır Galata kulesi kadar yerli, Kızkulesi kadar turfandadır Bir ellerini görsen bayılırsın Asur heykelleri gibi küt küt, çentik çentik emektar eller Binlerce kalıp oymuş bu güne kadar On binlerce yazma dağda bayırda onun şarkısını söyler Yazmalar uçun, yayladan geçin Has rengi, has biçimi; has insanı seçin yazmalar.. Yazma üstüne ne söylesem az En belalısı siyah üstüne beyaz Yazmanın siyahı sıcak ister hamam sıcağı Sıcak bir şey değil, ama siyah boyanın dumanı Ne dini vardır ne imanı Yazmacıları yıldıran budur Bu çökertir elmacık kemiklerini Akide şekeri gibi gülen gözler bulanır Duman değil zehir, can mı dayanır? Sonra yazmalar serilir çimene kandil kandil Işıktan; renkten; nakıştan bir bayram kurulur Davul zurna sesleri gelir uzaktan Insan eliyle tabiat gücü başa güreşirler Daha sonra Bağlarbaşı'ndan denize inilir Yazma dediğin balık misali akar suya, diri suya bayılır Boğazin suları kütür kütür Has olmayan ne varsa söker götürür En sonunda yazmalar havalanır öbek öbek İstanbul'dan deniz kokan yosun kokan bir merhaba! İstanbul'dan deste deste nur, demet demet çiçek Yurdun her yanına uçup gidecek Yazmalar uçun yayradan geçin İyiyi, güzeli; temizi seçin yazmaları" Cumhuriyet 25 Şubat 1952 Why do I print block prints? Mehmet Eyüboğlu Turkish motifs are known to touch people's feelings, being remembered, giving happiness and joy to people. They have an aspect of universality. Our motifs are expansionist. It was this belief that made me a block print artist. I give the utmost care to my workbench because I'm convinced about this. "I say if our block prints are here today, they'll be in China tomorrow". And my ever-blooming masters, my mother and father live in my heart. It's my eternal love, my utter respect to them, my love for this art that keeps me alive and strong. My love to my masters makes me want to melt and mix into perpetuality. Erimek belirsizce herşeyde Karışmak sulara, "yazmalara" Sinmek, kokusuna mor menekşenin Yaşamak, damar damar, nefes nefes Yaşamak, tükene tükene.. This exactly how I melt down, vein by vein, breath by breath within my block prints. A person who lays hands on my block print is actually holding Bedri Rahmi's soul. And the love of his life Eren is on the branches of the tree, leaf by leaf. It was my wish to keep them alive. I carve my moulds with my tears… and inside I add my essence of life. Because I know how authentic and laconic they are, they won't lose anything from their value regardless of my own essence diluting their works. Their personalities are so strong, their love so deep and pure - hence they don't lose their taste by reproduction. Anyway, who ever should make the effort to follow Bedri Rahmi's work in the 1950's will know his main aim in creating block prints was to "reproduce what is nice". That's all fine, but where do I stand in amidst all this. I'm a labourer of block prints; from its paints to brush; from cloth to mould. I'm under every stone from the Aladdin lamp wick, to the water pump. I am the one that continues this work, with my beloved wife, my friend for life, my bride Huguette. I keep my working masters alive with my very own efforts. Me, I'm madly crazy about the "Kandilli block prints". I attempt to do things in this direction. Sanat Çevresi 1989 "Yazma" is a hand painted block print. In Turkey this ancient form of traditional art expressed itself mostly with flowers, animal figures and in geometric patterns. In the 1950s, the well known Turkish painters Bedri Rahmi and Eren Eyüboğlu brought new energy to this almost extinct form of art by using blocks of their own designs in printing. This new form of expression reached full maturity in the works of their son, Mehmet Hamdi. In an article published in 1952, Bedri Rahmi expresses his thoughts on block prints. "While studying the various forms and colors of the motifs of our numerous handicrafts, my road crossed the path of block printing. This attraction could be explained by certain particularities also found in paintings. First of all, the use of textile as basic material; in painting, the fabric, following several procedures is hardened to receive the colors. Despite this, there is no guarantee it will not eventually chap or crack. In block printing, the color will not remain on the surface of the fabric as in painting, but penetrate into every fiber to form a new body. A painting using the best material by the most gifted hands could never withstand one tenth of the rough treatment inflicted to block prints. Secondly, in etching, where the drawing is first done on copper, zinc or marble, to later be printed on paper, in block printing, the motif is first sculpted on wood to later print on fabric. At the very beginning, the various designs were hand painted directly on the fabric; but this slow production could not meet the demands for these most resistant, practical and decorative fabrics." WHAT'S BEEN WRITTEN FOR OUR BLOCK PRINTS... "Bedri Rahmi Block Print Exhibition" In about all of the works created by Bedri Rahmi till today you can see him attempting to express Turkish spirit and its art, for which he is fundamentally loyal to, in a manner that is coherent with a comprehensive view on art and understanding of painting in this century. What we say about Fazıl Hüsnü Dağlarca in poetry on different occasions, can be repeated for Bedri Rahmi's paintings: I don't know of another Turkish artist that has succeeded in remaining Turkish in spirit and essence but managed to reach and get the attention of masses of people dispersed around the globe. His research on block print motifs and the experimentations he has realised have offered the chance for Bedri Rahmi to make advancements in two different ways. In other words, he has had the chance to get better acquainted with Turkish folk art as well as realise new experimentations on "maximum plainness in colour and form" - an issue that currently allures many of the artists around the globe." Tunç Yalman 18 March 1951, Vatan "Block Print Exhibition" "These block prints, that have come to be part of our lives thanks to the Eyüboğlu family, reveals the inclination of block print art embraking in a new direction. These block prints don't seem as if they're going to be limited to sheets, shawls or headscarfs; but seem more fit for showing themselves off on table covers, walls or even as a dress for women. Because, these paintings that have been transferred from paper to cloth represent the colourful Turkish folklore, and the rays and colurs of the dream world that exist in our minds. I find it impossible not to admire the artist who has given life to this regular piece of cloth with a dab of paint. Bahadır Dülger 1 June 1951, Zafer "The Art of Block Print" "-For me block prints cannot be anything but paintings. What started me on block print making was the desire to take the art of painting to the common people. Although a taste for painting is still absent in Turkey, there is no doubt a very strong taste for embroidery. I tried embroidery in my paintings but no one noticed. But when I incorporated embroidery into block print art no one hesitated. So that is what I concentrated on. In a few years I had sold way more block prints than I did paintings in my whole life. I faced an abundance of questions when I tried to use the same embroidery used on the block print to an oil painting. Bedri Rahmi Eyüboğlu (Interview) Yaşar Kemal 25 May 1952, Cumhuriyet [ Close ]