How did the works in “Me, You, Them” come together? What are the messages you want to convey with these abstract human figures?
Dinçer Güngörür: Sculptural analysis is a figurative and it is the followup of the formal analysis and composition searches I have been seeking throughout my professional career. In other words, it shows consistency and continuity both as a language and a result. In short, even though there are works specially created for this exhibition, it is like a summary of my whole professional life. Under the title of “Me, You, Them”, the human and the pain of being human are discussed. The ties and struggles of human with herself / himself, relatives and with whom he/she is against are examined. As a three – dimensional work of art, a sculpture is a whole of components such as light, shadow, motion, space and balance of forms within the bodies. Besides an emotion and thought, the art of sculpture’s disciplines also determine the figures.
Which marble types you used for 62 works in the exhibition? In general, could you tell your preferred quarry?
DG: I used mostly Afyon and Marmara marbles in this exhibition. Except for Kemalpaşa, onyx, travertine and some local, natural Stones that I collected in my travels. The interesting examples for stones that come to my mind are the ones that I collected from the roadside in Zonguldak, found on a hill in Eskişehir or took from the bottom of the sea in Çeşme. I repeatedly visited the quarries in Afyon. But I mostly established connections with small-scale suppliers. Currently, with the advantage of getting to know each other and mutual trust, I can reach the exact size and marbles that I want.
How did your relationship with natural stone begin and continue in your art life?
DG: Natural stones excited me from the very first moment of my professional life. Their natural shapes are almost like nature’s work of art. A wide variety of colors that hard to find in marble is an advantage. Amorphous structures of them activate your imagination very easily, it has the potential to make you think of very different, yet high quality sculptures that you have never thought of before. This is proven by experience. In this way, some of my sculptures that always remained in the back of my mind were shaped by the opportunities that the material reveals clearly.
How would you describe the character of natural stone as an artshaped raw material? As an artist, what do you find in stone material and what you don’t?
DG: When it comes to sculpture, stone sculptures always come to mind for art history. Maybe it is a subconscious acceptance for me that comes from ancient times to the present. Stone is a hard material. There are a lot of challenges that can be counted such as creating the workshop environment, reaching the stone and in terms of dust and physical exertion that occur during the shaping phase. But I would like to answer this question as an artist: As a representative of all this deep heritage, my first contact with the stone I understood that we would never leave each other. This was a very clear moment. Many people give up immediately, and a few people devote their lives.
In one of your interview, you defined your relationship with natural stone as a “master-slave” relationship by referring to the strong influence of the material in directing your art. Could you explain this a bit more?
DG: This is a joke of course. Sculpting is not an intensity of emotion that can be easily expressed in words. You shape all your feelings and accumulations on a substance that you distilled throughout your life and you are in a state of intense satisfaction while melting. This process, which also has a great responsibility, does not allow you to stop working until you have the formal effect you want. This creation process, which is very enjoyable in every moment and does not allow you to cut your intellectual speed for a moment, is kind of addictive. For the master-slave relationship I mentioned, I want to say that it is the desire to finish the sculpture you work on it and to start the next sculpture with new ideas. This is a cycle that doesn’t let you stop.
Which natural stone types do you prefer especially in your works?
DG: The main thing is that I prefer to work with stones that carry the light beautifully, have a homogeneous structure and have a balance of medium hardness. Of course, my choice of stone also determines the sculptures. I prefer colorful and vivid stones in abstract sculptures. I believe it supports excitement. In figurative sculptures, I prefer to use plain single color stones.
Do you have anything to say about the situation and reputation of the Turkish natural stone in the world art conjuncture?
DG: The reputation and the dignity of a country for art are parallel with the science it has. It is the prestige of countries that are more important than stone awareness and quality that they have. This fact put them in rank for world art. I believe that Turkish contemporary artists have world class works. As the reputation and dignity for Turkish artists increase, I believe that this will have positive effects not only in a quarry but also in every field on behalf of our country in the world.
Do you have different work or exhibition plans that are on the agenda after “Me, You, Them” exhibition? What would you say about your current works that you are working on?
DG: I’m in preparation for a new solo exhibition at the end of the year, although the date hasn’t been clear yet. I aim to attend fairs regularly that take place during the year. I’m currently right into the intensive design processes for these aims. In short, my works continue nonstop. Talking about the creation processes that I’m in would be difficult for someone who expresses himself with sculpture.