Assoc. Prof. Simber ATAY
Assoc. Prof. Simber ATAY
Dokuz Eylül University Fine Arts Faculty
Head of Photography Department
What is the scanograph?
“Scanograph” is a special derivative of photographic technique. The term is derived by combining two words; Scan (from scanning) and graph (text). Photographer Ugur Okcu uses this technique exclusively to create art by “writing with light”. Using this technique unique to him, Okcu opened an exhibition titled MOVEMENT. The photographic expressions of differentiations/differences of the concept of time, such as movement, speed, change and transformation formed the main theme of the exhibition. The exhibition was held in 1995 and 1996, in Ankara (Studio Artist Exhibition Hall), Istanbul (Ifsak, 11th Photo Days; Emlak Art Gallery, Sedad Kent Villas Show Room Exhibition Hall) and in Izmir (Hotel İsmira Gallery).
Solo exhibitions always have a privileged importance in photography. Accordingly, each artist embodies their interpretations and discussions on the use of photographic language skills and presents them to the general appreciation and criticism.
Therefore, the "Movement" exhibition, which contains the ‘scanographs’ of Ugur Okcu, with a huge effort resulting in two-and-a-half-years and costing approximately one billion Turkish Liras, can be regarded as a notable addition to modern Turkish photography.
How is the Scanograph created?
By eroding the film drive gears in his Minolta X700, Ugur Okcu enabled the pellicle flow as a whole. Thus, he could pose the film by wrapping manually, resulting in double/multiple exposures by turning the film roll over and over again. The final outcome was abstract visions enclosing impressions of motion. Okcu applied to the Turkish Patent Institute with this modification he executed on a classical camera and received a “Utility Model” patent.
The Scanographic vision
Although under different titles such as “Picnic in the Snow 1”, “ A Little Flame Story”, “Blue and Red’s Respect for the Law”, ”Resonance”, ”Seagulls” and so on, and although they cover different subjects, in general Okcu’s scanographs offer rhythmic variations of impressions on movement and can be considered presenting a futuristic and photodynamic format . However, today as we approach the 3rd Millennium, these photos do not embrace the original context and ideological characteristics of the early futurists. The futuristic attitude, which uniquely analyzed the phenomenon of speed as the primary topic of modern 20th century culture, both as a principle of life, a political proposal and a claim to develop a new aesthetic, has now become a citation problem depending on the arbitrary choices of the artist himself. Thus, the stroboscopic nature of Okcu’s photographs is just on the surface.
Still, let's take a look at our collective memory records once more; throughout the history of humanity, artistic creativity has been experienced now and then as the most crystallized model of radical criticism.
The futurists were also critics. They passionately challenged the tradition in the Italian geography and its universal aesthetic symbols, worshiping technology, celebrating the resurrection of humanity in the chaos of the modern metropolis, and embracing Ares with the love of change.
Anyhow, the political conditions are changing continuously. The only question that remains and must be preserved is the practice of criticism. Criticism, politically and aesthetically - which are the two fundamental platforms of our existence- is the eternal virtue of humanity.
Abstract expressionism is another art concept that carries the notion of criticism in a truly pure and individual form from the beginning to the end of our century, in other words from the avant-garde to the post modernism.
The panchromatic, cibachrome print images can easily be included within the scope of abstract expressionism due to their abstract features dedicated to the concept of time.
Conventional use of the photographic language has been the subject of discussion for the creation of ‘scanographs’. Besides, the mechanism of the camera itself gained functionality outside of the usual photographic image-taking process. Although 35mm film was used, the image dimensions were spread over the whole film roll meaning the photogram standard of 24 x 36mm was exceeded.
These practices evoke the typical avant-garde manner. The artist uses a technological tool - the camera – to express himself, but subverts all relevant industrial standards and establishes his personal aesthetic. The “technology is the art and art is the technology” paradox, which forms the nature of photography, is criticized with a radical attitude. Yet, this criticism appears as if it was only within the confines of the scanographs; in fact this arises from post-modern perception problems. Even though the observation practice, which is professionally deformed by flash-back reflexes, resorts to universal experiences to define the aesthetic aspects, in the end, the works of art are handled within the boundaries of quotations from the history of art. Otherwise, the prevailing sensitivity of ‘scanographs’ is critical fidelity. Even if evaluations are made at the levels of metaphorical connotations due to the titles of the works, much more importantly, the professional artist and the audience spiritually meet in the dynamic reality of an abstract atmosphere which spreads over all the modes of time.
The artist’s search for form initiates a spiritual journey full of surprises for the audience. During this journey, aesthetical experiences of the past come into play by gaining different coordinates of knowledge and sensitivity in the face of the new vision, and the spirit of discovery emerges in its most pure form. The viewer and the artist, with abstract answers to their personal questions/problems, live and realize their mutual individual existence in the absolute freedom of the supreme levels.
The empirical origins of Scanograph:
The history of photography is about the technical and scientific researches and inventions related to the tools and machinery that make the photographic image real. These empirical practices which formed the basis of photographic technology not only brought perfection to the photographic language skills, but also became a source of inspiration for visual / aesthetic creativity itself.
Especially, in the first quarter of the 20th century, for the avant-garde artists creativity ceased to be a privileged, classical and perfectionist transformation model, and became an aestheticization method which life and art are evaluated simultaneously(x). One of the applications of this method is "context changing", which still maintains its intensity and validity even today where the avant-garde spirit has disappeared but its formalism has been transformed into a set of options within the postmodernism experience of our time. Thus, any method of expression which does not serve aesthetic purposes becomes the interpretation, form and material itself.
If we look back to the History of Photography; Eadweard Muybridge invented one of the first shutters (1869), and then begun experimenting (1874-1877-1878… ) to capture in details the movements of Occident, a horse which belonged to the ex-governor of California, Leland Stanford. Finally, he was successful in taking a snapshot in 1/2000 of a second, thus capturing the movement in an instant and defining “photographic time” in real terms. Muybridge later used his snapshots in zoetrope, creating the illusion of motion, this time defining the “cinematographic time".
Etienne Jules Marey (1883) and Thomas Eakins (1884), who benefited from Muybridge’s analysis of motion on different photograms (light-sensitive papers); conducted experiments on the same sensitivity sheet.
The images obtained by Marey and Eakins are works in which the "photographic time" is defined and the impression of motion is embodied. These images, which were achieved only for scientific purposes have been an inspirational source for the modern and postmodern artists of the 20th century.
“Nude descending from the stairs" (1912) by Marcel Duchamp and Gerhard Richter's “Ema, Nude on the steps" (1966) are good examples.
It is known that the Futurists were inspired also. We also know that futurist photographer Anton Giulio Bragaglia chose the concept of movement as the main theme of his poetic work. Bragaglia achieved the visual effects by capturing moving figures or objects in slow shutter speeds (XX).
Similar interpretations exist in the works of Ernst Haas and Şakir Eczacıbaşı as well. In conclusion, the scanographs displayed here shows us that the “photographic time” and the mechanisms that provide its visual variations are the subject of discussion and a newest configuration in terms of aesthetics.
Experimental origins of Scanographs
Ugur Okcu's scanographs represent his aesthetic antagonism. He has chosen photography as a means of expression, has used the technical possibilities of photography to create his vision, but has enhanced paradoxes to transform the material and spiritual dimensions of photography. The attempt to manipulate the camera body can be considered both as homage to technology – because he is an engineer by profession - and an ironic revolt against the enormous industry of photography - because he is an artist.
The aesthetical bulimia of postmodernism may have developed some prejudices that have reached a level of contempt for the formalist crystallization of artistic creativity. In that sense, it is likely that we can face prejudgments about context or lack of context, like the obligations in Jdanov's aesthetic. But, what context is this? Can we talk about absolutism in the combination of form/context in the free spaces of artistic creativity?
Throughout the history of art, which form did not create its context? Or, which context did not realize its form? In time, materials change, themes are preserved, variations of form emerge, but the content itself is the self-concrete abstract dimension of the artist's style. The differentiation is unavoidable. Therefore, the nostalgic approach towards avant-garde nowadays, which has developed in parallel with the century- transition syndrome, can be considered almost and only a standardized sensitivity.
However, we are faced with a new phenomenon every moment. In the name of creativity and criticism, in the name of art and life! One to one!
At the beginning of the 20th century many experimental artists’ groups emerged: The Futurists, the Dadaists, and the Surrealists etc. They were able to present their individuality as social suggestions. Now, everybody is on one’s own! So is Ugur Okcu!
The ideological structure of Scanographs:
Ugur Okcu takes photographs everywhere. But he has a special qualification; he is an able seaman by profession. Why is he after capturing abstract images even in exotic places? Why doesn’t and why can’t he bring back images of exotic landscapes, portraits, details from Caribbean, Pacific Ocean, Brazilian Coasts, Strait of Malaga, Aden Gulf and Kamchatka? Why isn’t he after the typical charm of travelling, adventure and freedom?
One of the most dazzling aspects of life and vitality is the simultaneous meeting of active people from different geographies and with different means of expression in the same focus of discussion.
The philosophical determination expressed as the end of exoticism, once explained as sailing to distant seas, finds its visual equivalent in the scanographs of Okcu.
Jean Baudrillard, in his article titled “Radical Exoticism”, states that exoticism is not an ordinary state of alienation or touristic fantasy (XXX) and makes a quotation from Segalen: "Exoticism is an immediate and sharp perception of eternal ambiguity" (1). For example, the scanograph titled "Resonance" was taken from the main mast of a tanker that is carrying special chemicals from Rio de Janeiro to Bombay.
Again, scanograph titled "Brothel" was taken in Willemstad, Curacao at the Dutch Antilles, and “Seagulls” in Cape Town.
Since we know that Okcu creates his work generally in exotic places, the abstract ambiguities of these images coincide with Segalen’s suggestion/definition about exoticism. Okcu declares: "My problem is not to pursue the photograph, but to create it in my mind!”
The philosophical basis of the Scanograph:
Although the scanographs are photographic detections, the real time of these impressions of movement is never confined within the limits of the photographic time or past tense, but diffuses into the present tense of cinematography. Objects, figures and situations chosen as the subject, display a continuous transition in the flow of movement.
Beyond any photographers’ ordinary reflexes and interpretations in reference to time, Okcu in fact is taking the photos of metamorphosis. While perceiving each of his scanographs we can almost hear Bergson’s wish; "...let us restore to movement its mobility, to change its fluidity, to time its duration”.
Scanographs and the problematic of “Aura”
After the cibachrome prints are done, Okcu destroys the negatives, thus making his work unique.
Dear Walter Benjamin, back to you again! What a radical attitude regarding the “problematic of the aura”! In this way the potentiality of reproduction which in fact is a natural feature of photography is not destroyed completely but an initiative is displayed in favor of the originality of the work. Besides, technically speaking, the exposition of these kind of images on film is totally coincidental and for once only. Actually, reality has not been captured by chance in scanographs; on the contrary the coincidental has become reality itself.
This is the end of Captain's notebook about, "Movement". The date is January 5, 1997. My congratulations and best wishes to Ugur Okcu. See you later in a new exhibition!
Assoc. Prof. Simber ATAY
Dokuz Eylul University Fine Arts Faculty
Head of Photography Department
(X)cf. Jameson, Lyotard, Habermas,
Postmodernism, edited by Necmi Zeka,
Translated by Gulengul Nalis, Dumrul Sabucuoglu, Deniz Erksan,
Kiyi, İstanbul, 1994, pp. 39
(XX) cf. Beaumont Newhall,
Storia della Fotografia,
Translated by Laura Lovisetti Fua, GiulioEinaudib
Editore, Torino, 1984, pp. 163, 165, 166,289;
Maria Loup Souges, Historia de Loup fotographia
Cuardernes Arte Catedra,
Madrid, 1991, pp. 258,260, 262.
(XXX) cf. Jean Baudrillard,
Transparency of Evil
Translated by Emel Abora and Isik Erguden,
Ayrinti, İstanbul 1995, pp. 137 - 146
(I) Jean Baudrillard, ibidem, s.138
(II) Henri Bergson,
La Pensée et le Mouvant)
Translated by, Mirac Katircioglu,
Ministry of national education, youth and sports, editions,
İstanbul, 1986, s. 12