Before writing some of my thoughts and impressions about Selcuk’s paintings, I looked up the meaning of the words: theme, desen (French) motif, symbol, and how they structure and/or inform the narrative in literature, paintings, and music.

 

One of the books Selçuk wrote is about the construction process of building a hotel in Antalya, Turkey. The book is called “Konaklama Yapısı,” and the project is called “Belekpark.” The book follows and tells the story of the project, from design to realisation. It talks about the decisions made, lessons learned, connections developed and so on. It sounds like a straightforward textbook for construction management, however, the base narrative is embedded within a very complex web of relationships which affect the process and show no regard for the intentions or programs of the designers and managers. The environmental factors such as the sand storms, dunes, strong winds, and dense pine trees, are all integral to the flow of the narrative. Suzanne’s efforts to grow an avocado plant in a pot, is cleverly woven into the plot as a symbol of survival. The building and the plant develop side by side and very much apart. Success comes to both in the end. The book unrolled the narrative of parallel lives almost as a detective story, and I could not put it
down.

 

Looking at Selçuk’s latest paintings, I can easily see the similarities in the skilfully layered richness of the narrative and depth in thinking. With Belpark, he has inserted geometry into the softness and unpredictability of nature. In his paintings, he creates a loosely created geometry as a structure, then inserts the vignettes to represent nature, life, love, soul, and the senses. They are all woven in, sometimes framed, sometimes surrounded by, and sometimes completely free of this geometry, weaving stories of endless possibility.

 

In his book “Konaklama Yapisi” he says that even though at the time the computer programming software for the construction process was developed and used widely in the industry, he always constructed his program on a clean sheet of paper by hand. He explains this preference as follows” As soon as I lay the large white sheet of paper on the table and put my pen on it, a deep understanding and magical correspondence start between the two of us.”

 

Selçuk has a very long-standing strong relationship with paper. They are friends, and they understand each other, they respond to each other. As soon as his pen or brush touches the paper, words, lines and colours all start hastily pouring out to reach the paper, to find their purposes, correct place and tell the stories they are meant to tell. They hide within the intricate geometry and become a mysterious puzzle to be observed, solved, enjoyed and to delight. “So it goes,” as they say.