A Hidden Gem in Abstract Art: Burhan Doğançay

By Deniz Bora

Have you heard of the Turkish artist Burhan Doğançay?

Born in Istanbul in 1929, Doğançay did not initially set out to be an artist. Before starting his career in art, he earned a law degree from the University of Ankara and a Doctorate of economics from the University of Paris. At the University of Paris, Doğançay took art classes in his free time[1]. 

Doğançay’s style is difficult to describe because he works with a wide range of mediums: collage, abstraction, painting, photography, and calligraphy. One particular event, however, contributed to Doğançay’s classic “wall art” style. 

While walking on 86th street in Manhattan, he claims he saw “the most beautiful abstract painting”[2], which he described as a wall with remnants of “marks made by rain and mud.” These remnants gave Doğançay a vision, inspiring him to create a series of paintings inspired by urban walls covered with torn posters and graffiti. 

Having grown up in Istanbul, where deteriorated walls are so common, I have walked past countless walls with ripped posters and remnants of old graffiti. However, I was never drawn to them for their aesthetic quality and never paid attention to them. 

Doğançay, on the other hand, manages to look past the ugliness of these surfaces and instead uses them as his muse. He transforms these seemingly mundane urban walls into abstract works of art. He uses very bright colors, creates a layered composition of different shapes and motifs, and sometimes even adds photographs. Thus, his ability to transform such ordinary things into valuable artworks defines him as an artist, not me. 

Doğançay began creating his art in the 60s and 70s in New York and Istanbul, both politically charged cities, so he must have encountered political posters frequently.  This gives his style a Pop Art aspect, but there is nothing in his art that suggests a political stance or a criticism of society; his art is devoid of any such interpretations. Instead, Doğançay is interested in preserving the human imprint on urban walls, for he believes they communicate the experiences of humans that populated the streets of that city. This reminds me of the famous saying, “if these walls could talk,” which is also a famous idiom in the Turkish language.

Doğançay’s works are in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Guggenheim Museum in New York, but they are never on display. The main reason for this is because he is a non-Western artist who is not well known by the general public, which is a paradox in itself. Unless museums display artists like him, it is impossible for them to get recognition. 

One of the greatest struggles of the museum field today is to diversify their collections and exhibitions. This is crucial to transform museums into environments where visitors not only enjoy art but also experience different cultures and their perspectives. This also counters the stereotypical notion that holds Western art above others. This is especially the case in specific styles in the history of art that are considered dominated by Western artists, such as Abstract Art. 

This also explains the absence of Doğançay from Abstract Art exhibitions since Turkish art is never really associated with any modern art styles. Instead, it is more closely associated with Ottoman and Islamic Art, qualities that differentiate it from Western art. Thus, it is this attempt to marginalize certain cultures that prevent the artists from these cultures from excelling in modern art styles. Many artists from similar cultures are doomed to be considered from a marginalizing perspective and the interpretation of their works is limited to their cultures, even though their talents are of international value. 

Nevertheless, by looking at the works of Doğançay, one can clearly see the unfairness of the museum world in not giving the spotlight to artists like him when it comes to Abstract Art. Doğançay’s art allows us to peel the layers of a wall and discover the colorful history and experiences hidden underneath. 

Hundreds of artists whose art transcends their nationalities and becomes a shared experience for everyone are waiting to be recognized and celebrated by the Western audience. 

Next time you go to a museum, think about how many non-Western artists are represented in their exhibitions.

Also, next time you go out for a walk, take a second look at the walls you walk past.

References

[1] Arslanbenzer, Hakan. “Burhan Doğançay: Urban and avant-garde painter.” Daily Sabah, January 14, 2020. https://www.dailysabah.com/arts-culture/2020/01/09/burhan-dogancay-urban-and-avant-garde-painter

[2] Arslanbenzer, “Burhan Doğançay: Urban and avant-garde painter.”