Soner Ön

August 16th, 2010

admin — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 15:36:20 +0000

The rug I designed for the Meandros Festival this year has been completed. So far I’ve only seen a photo, looking very forward to seeing it in person. Many humble thanks and Ellerinize sağlik Teyzeler! to the Güllübahçe Weavers. There will be a group exhibition of all the rugs in November. More details to follow.

Istanbul Cool! is up until September 1st at LTMH Gallery in UES.

Aquarius

admin — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 19:39:50 +0000

Neolithic cave paintings and sculptures of aurochs and other game animals show us evidence of spears thrown at them, as if they were hunted. These simulated hunting rituals practiced by Cro-magnon Shamans reveal to us civilization’s earliest workings of Sympathetic Magic. Seeing and experiencing one’s own spear thrown into an animal, one feels, and visually creates attainment in the mind. The method of leaving reality, by way of the imagination, generating and releasing thoughts into the universe, eventually affecting reality. With the involvement of art into these rituals, the magic then takes on a greater strength.

Growing up in Brooklyn, I would only see a few stars in the sky due to the surrounding well lit city lampposts. Only when I would leave Brooklyn and it’s street lights behind, would I be able to see the lights of the heavens. These visual memories were the beginnings of my connection with the cosmos as a means of escape. For this series, the stars in my zodiac constellation have been replaced with gemstones. Employing these ways of thinking as a means of evading the slums and advancing into the stars.

2009
Enamel on paper, 24″ x 20″
AQ21

2009
Enamel on paper, 24″ x 20″
AQ20

2009
Enamel on paper, 24″ x 20″
Detail of AQ20

2009
Enamel on paper, 24″ x 20″
AQ19

2009
Enamel on paper, 24″ x 20″
Detail of AQ19

2009
Enamel on paper, 24″ x 20″
AQ18

2009
Enamel on paper, 24″ x 20″
Detail of AQ18

2007
Enamel on aluminum, 24″ x 20″
AQ11

2007
Enamel on aluminum, 24″ x 20″
AQ10

2007
Enamel on aluminum, 24″ x 20″
AQ13 •

2007
Enamel on aluminum, 24″ x 20″
AQ12 •

2007
Enamel on aluminum, 24″ x 20″
AQ09 •

2008
Enamel on aluminum, 12″ x 10″
AQ14

2008
Enamel on aluminum, 12″ x 10″
AQ15

2008
Enamel on aluminum, 12″ x 10″
AQ16

2008
Enamel on aluminum, 12″ x 10″
AQ17

“Picasso had always believed in the incantatory powers of art. Therein lay the fascination “primitive” art held for him. As he told Malraux, it made him understand what he expected from painting. Art for Picasso was neither an aesthetic operation nor did it mirror reality. Instead, it created reality on it’s own terms, parallel to the creation of nature and could thus, and only thus have an impact on the world. It was in this analogy to real life that the magical quality of art resided for Picasso.“

-Excerpt from Picasso:The Communist Years” By Gertje Utley (Yale University Press)

O’ Salvation, Deliver Me From Evil!

admin — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 17:37:07 +0000

In the 80’s during my childhood we lived in a neighborhood overrun with crime, drugs and poverty. Needing a way out I did what any kid living here would do to escape; I watched cartoons. Saving me from the dark downtrodden environment outside they were the light of my world. As the ancients gave worship to the daily life-giving light of the sun, I would praise the illuminating portal of television. This guiding light of inspiration shone on my face and stayed with me forever.

ESPH81

ESPH41

ESPH39

ESPH93

ESPH43

ESPH92

ESPH95

ESPH101

ESPH102

ESPH103

ESPH90

ESPH78

ESPH105

ESPH65

ESPH69

ESPH112

ESPH72

ESPH50

ESPH49

ESPH51

ESPH94

ESPH97

ESPH52

ESPH48

ESPH54

ESPH83

ESPH86

ESPH80

ESPH106

ESPH109

ESPH71

ESPH82

ESPH13

ESPH44

ESPH84

ESPH100

ESPH61

ESPH85

ESPH58

ESPH37

ESPH88

ESPH75

ESPH79

ESPH11

ESPH09

ESPH45

ESPH53

ESPH15

ESPH64

ESPH89

ESPH02

ESPH40

ESPH55

ESPH57

ESPH77

ESPH110

ESPH70

ESPH38

ESPH76

ESPH96

ESPH05

ESPH98

ESPH66

ESPH68

ESPH42

ESPH104

ESPH19

ESPH74

ESPH107

ESPH87

S

admin — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 17:27:12 +0000

2009
Edition of 50, 16 pgs

Published by The Holster as part of Demand&Supply, a print-on-demand project initiated for the first annual NYC Zine Fest, held at the Brooklyn Lyceum in June 2009. One of sixteen zines produced for the event.

Growing up in the ghetto of Flatbush, Brooklyn, I always came across the juvenile graffiti of my fellow inhabitants. In the beginning stages of the series Invert, I redrew the aliases and marks of young ghetto children just using pencil on paper. The smudged names and dusted graphite on the paper were then inverted. These drawing are studies for what will be painted on large black mirrors. The finished works will use the viewer’s own reflection, as a tool to show the universality and spiritual connection from a fine art viewer in a gallery all the way to the a 9 year old black girl in a poor neighborhood in Brooklyn, NY, who might never make their way into such a venue. The end result will be the mirrors showing names turned into stars in a universe that everyone can see themselves in. My intent with this project is to establish the connectivity between the viewer and those that may never be one.

June 1, 2010

admin — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 03:24:06 +0000

I’m in a group show of 27 Turkish contemporary artists at LTMH Gallery. It opens tomorrow and will be up until September 1st. I will be showing four new Aquarius paintings and a painted black mirror as part of an extension of S.

A new project .

And a new printmaking experience.

A Printmaking Experience

admin — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 22:27:26 +0000

When I originally photographed this image on I was attracted to it’s formal qualities. Being that the image is a Crip gang tag I thought if I had printed it with ink loaded with graphite powder, whoever had a print could smudge, alter and even erase the image to make it their own. During printing I realized that the dried prints were barely able to smudge and as each time I inspected the image again and again it started to affect me. Here is someone in my neighborhood who has joined a blue gang with the intent of killing the red gang. The desperation of ganglife and association started to go through my head, having experience with it myself. Youths so similar to each other yet becoming enemies. I had to intervene. I started to print badly on purpose. The silkscreen became oversaturated with ink and the resulting image went from Crip graffiti to something more universal and inspiring.

If you would like one, email me your mailing address.

Meandros Festival 2010 Priene, Turkey

admin — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 03:11:57 +0000

Traditionally in Turkey rugs would be made by girls as items for their hope chests. Using the language of ancient cultural symbols and patterns in their designs they would make known their wishes in life. With every knot the weaver would make, she would create with thought and intention. Some were known to even weave locks of their own hair into their rug infusing it with their spirit.

I was invited as part of a project for artists to design rugs to be made by the Gullubahce Weavers of Priene,Turkey. Deeply honored with this opportunity I felt it was right to design my rug with traditional symbols. Employing this language I’m interested in making a communication with my weaver about my personal desires in life. This rug is currently being made.

August 16th, 2010

Here’s the completed rug.

December 6, 2009

admin — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 15:39:55 +0000

Four new Aquarius paintings, AQ19-21.

Also The Octet exhibition that was at the Pera Museum in Istanbul has moved to Chelsea. I’m showing “5 of 10,000″ as well as 5 other collages. The show has lots of good work and a great catalogue. More info.

November 7, 2009

admin — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 21:28:23 +0000

A lot’s happened since my last post.

The Holster participated at Printed Matter’s NY Art Book Fair at P.S. 1 this year. Phil and I spoke at one of the conferences entitled “Is Print Really Dead? Artists (Still) Making Books” moderated by Carol Rusk of The Whitney Museum.

The Holster did our second installment of our Demand & Supply project introducing 10 new titles where we printed the zines and formed the edition as people requested them.

Also Istanbul was great. One of the best trips to the motherland of my life. I want to greatly thank Peter Hristoff for his vital hard work into putting it together and the amazing staff at The Pera Museum.

Before leaving Istanbul I picked up representation by C.A.M Galeri in Istanbul. We are currently planning my solo exhibition in their Beyoglu space in late 2010/early 2011.

Also check out a recent interview I did while I was out there.

News

admin — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 21:36:24 +0000

Welcome. Hoşgeldin. Whatta Gwan.

+ The site has been newly renovated thanks to the help of my friend Gary Fogelson. Please stay posted for updates.

+ I will be showing some work at The Pera Museum in Istanbul, Turkey for a group exhibition entitled “Octet”. The opening will be on the 12th of August, 2009. Also on the 18th I will be speaking on a panel discussion in conjunction with the museum’s show presenting my work alongside other Turkish-American artists, Peter Hristoff and Elif Uras.
More info here.

+ Participated in Jordin Isip’s “Dimebag 3″ exhibition at GR Gallery. Each artist was given a small ziploc bag resembling a drug bag. I filled mine with oregano. It is on sale for 10 dollars.