Balaban and his art, a photo from Istanbul, Marmara

Photographer's Note

This is the famous turkish painter İbrahim Balaban. I captured him in his summer house in Sile, studying his latest paint.
He is almost 92 and is the most famous naive painter of Turkey.
He learned art of painting from the famous turkish poet Nazım Hikmet when both were been jailed in Bursa in the year 1937. He still is using the techniques he learned from Hikmet.
On WS you can see the scetch of one of his next paintings.

Bu kişi ünlü ressam İbrahim Balaban. Onun bu resmini Şiledeki yalzık evinde çalışırken çektim.
Balaban doksanını geride bıraktı ama hala büyük bir keyifle şövalesinin başına geçip çalışıyor.
Burada da yeni resimlerinden biri ile.
Balaban resim sanatını, 1937 de Nazım Hikmetle Bursa cezaevinde aynı koğuşu paylaştıklarında Nazımdan öğrenmiş.
WS de onun yeni resimlerinden birinin eskizi var.

holmertz, marabu61, Sonata11, ahmet54, bona, tyro, ACL1978, s_lush, Buin has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

batalay (32846) 2012-09-16 12:24

Merhaba sevgili Mesut,

Herhalde bilirsin böyle resimleri çok severim — tablolarinla ugrasan resamlar, tablolari tetkik eden sanat severleri, galerilerde resimleri anlamaya çalisan ufak çocuklar. Galiba "naive" yerine, "primitive" dir bu ressamin stili. Ama çok beyendim dogrusu.

Sevgiler,

Bülent

holmertz (26900) 2012-09-16 12:28

Hello Mesut,
This is an interesting photo and it is always impressive to find someone older than 90 still going strong. In a way the WS is even more interesting because I can see more clearly his ideas before the painting is finished. The regular upload is of course more relevant as a photo. I didn't know that Nazım Hikmet was also a painter. That was news to me.
Kind regards,
Gert
PS In one week I will be back in Istanbul. Will you be in town this time?

marabu61 (3890) 2012-09-16 14:46

Hello Mesut bey
Astounding, he really looks great for 92.
A very good portrait, showing him in full concentration on his work. I love the way how the finger is leading the eye from the man himself to his painting.
have a great week
Daniel

cornejo (17990) 2012-09-17 1:37

Hello Mesut, very nice picture of this wonderful artist and his work. Very good image sharpness, good light and color. Lovely work excellently done, congratulations my friend. Tfs.

Good day and happy week.
Best regards and best wishes.
Angel.

TRB (12311) 2012-09-17 11:52

merhaba,
Işığı, netliği ve kompozisyonu ile çok başarılı, çok güzel bir paylaşım.
selam ve saygılar

Tülay

ahmet54 (2893) 2012-09-17 12:47

Merhaba Mesut abi,
bugüne kadar bilmedigim ressamin portresi begeniyorum.
Schön, dass er in diesem Alter immer noch aktiv arbeitet. Ich mag die lebhaften Farben und die Dynamik der Frau bei der Ernte. Durch den Gegenlichteffekt scheint mir allerdings das Gesicht des Künstlers etwas zu dunkel geraten. Ich hoffe dir gefällt der Workshop den ich gemacht habe.
Gruß aus Deutschland,
Roland

[workshop] [compare] +

bona (10132) 2012-09-17 17:06

Hi MESUT ILGIM,

very pretty photo. The man artwork is realy very beautiful too. I like the light you got here and the nice colors too.
Thanks
andre

tyro (13043) 2012-09-18 7:50

Hello Mesut,

This is a beautifully "intimate" portrait of this wonderful artist. And so much better that you have included one of his own paintings - and he is still working upon it!

The composition is excellent with strong lines of connection between the artist and his canvas, especially through the pointed finger of his right hand. I love the contre jour lighting too.

Gorgeous colours, perfect exposure with some lovely contrasts, and excellent detail and sharpness.

And a very interesting note about İbrahim Balaban too!

Beautiful!

Kind Regards,

John.

ACL1978 (5755) 2012-09-19 17:14

Beautiful shot of a master at work, Mesut. The lighting is exquisite here; the painting itself glows, while the painter is just outlined in light, creating a nice tension in the shot. Incredible to read that this man is 92 and still creating! Thanks for the shot and for the most informative note!

Andrew

s_lush (15580) 2012-09-21 8:07

Hello Mesut,
It was a very good idea to take picture of an artist at his creative work. You have realized this idea perfectly well, with the very well-balanced composition, excellent lighting, beautiful colors and incredibly high quality. Thanks for highly interesting and well illustrated story in the note!
Best regards,
Sergiy

Buin (42082) 2012-09-22 23:10

Lieber Mesut!
Ein auf den ersten Blick starkes, intensives und faszinierendes Foto - und das trifft auch für das Gemälde zu. Bilder dieser Art - den Maler und sein Werk außerhalb einer Ausstellung - sieht man nicht sehr oft und hier schafft der Blickwinkel - quasi "über die Schulter" einen zusätzlichen Reiz. Nochmals, ein starkes Bild!
Herzliche Grüße aus dem schon recht kühlen Deutschland. 4°C heute morgen ...
Ich hoffe, Dir geht es gut!
Frank