Eşref Armağan: Difference between revisions
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'''Eşref Armağan''' (born 1953) is a Turkish [[Painting|painter]] born in Istanbul, Turkey. He is a very prominent painter in Turkey, mostly known for his ability to portray forms, perspective and colour in his artworks despite suffering from complete visual impairment [[Visual impairment|visual impairment]], a condition he was born with. |
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'''Eşref Armağan''' (born 1953) is a blind [[Painting|painter]] of Turkish origin. |
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==Early life== |
==Early life== |
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Armağan grew up legally blind in a less than fortunate household and with no formal education. One of his eyes failed to develop beyond a ‘’rudimentary bud’’, meanwhile the other was ‘’stunted and scarred’’. <ref>https://tacpac.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Senses-special-The-art-of-seeing-without-sight.pdf</ref> Having no visual perspective of the outside world, he resorted to experiencing the world through heightening his other senses, particularly through touch. He often looked to his father, Nazim Armağan, for guidance. He started to take interest in learning about the world at the age of 6. <ref>https://artdesignasia.com/beyond-sight-the-incredible-artistic-journey-of-esref-armagan/#:~:text=One%20of%20the%20most%20remarkable,explore%20their%20textures%20and%20shapes.</ref> |
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Born in 1953 without sight to an impoverished family, he taught himself to write and paint. |
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==Painting process== |
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==Career== |
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He has painted using [[Oil paint]] for roughly 35 years. Eşref Armagan first visualises his painting before even touching the canvas. After which, he often uses a [[braille]] stylus or a rope covered in a sticky substance to create the outline of his drawing.<ref>https://www.trtworld.com/magazine/esref-armagan-a-blind-turkish-painter-who-sees-through-his-fingertips-53568</ref> He requires complete silence before he begins painting.<ref>https://painterskeys.com/without-sight/</ref> He then uses his fingers to apply the oil paint. After he applies one layer, he leaves it to dry before applying a new colour so that there is no smudging. The art pieces themselves are created without help from any individual. He is also able to create art that has [[Perspective (visual)|visual perspective]]. |
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He has painted using oil paints for roughly 35 years. |
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His art style is one based on challenging the limitations that affect him via his condition. In an interview with Al-Jazeera, he stated that his art is ‘‘...to prove that I can draw by touch’’ as well as claimed if he were to ‘’..specialise in abstract art, the critics would dismiss my efforts as ‘he paints things as he feels them’ ’’ rather than a skill to see past his blindness <ref>https://www.aljazeera.com/program/al-jazeera-world/2022/6/15/painting-in-the-dark</ref> |
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Using a [[braille]] stylus to etch the outline of his drawing, Armağan requires total silence to create art. [[Oil paint]] is then applied with his fingers and left to dry fully before a new color is applied. This method is used so that colors do not smudge. The art pieces themselves are created without help from any individual. {{citation needed|date=January 2023}} He is also able to create art that has [[Perspective (visual)|visual perspective]]. |
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==Psychological subject== |
==Psychological subject== |
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===Volvo ad campaign=== |
===Volvo ad campaign=== |
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In 2009 Armağan was invited by [[Volvo]] to paint the new model [[Volvo S60|S60]] as part of a social media campaign. |
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Prior to the release of the S60, Volvo asked him to paint his interpretation of the then unreleased model as a promotional piece. This was a key demonstration of his ability to sense form and perspective, as well as contrast between the landscape and the car. |
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Armagan absorbs the information by walking around the car, highlighting the key aspects of the car model such as the hood and the side. He then depicts the car on a road using a ¾ perspective. |
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| ⚫ | His work was documented in a series of videos posted on Volvo's [[Facebook]] page.<ref>[https://www.facebook.com/Volvo?v=app_4949752878 Volvo Facebook fanpage with documentaries]</ref> The resulting painting of the S60 sold on [[eBay]] for US$3,050. The Canadian non-profit charity organization [[World Blind Union|World Blind Union (WBU)]] was the benefactor of the auction.<ref>[http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250540341841 Ebay auction of S60 painting]</ref> |
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===Other works=== |
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Other more notable works include his exhibitions for organizations such as the Art Education for the Blind,<ref>https://www.artbeyondsight.org/sidebar/aboutaeb.shtml#aeb</ref> a non-profit organization aimed at making art accessible to those with visual impairment. |
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==Personal life== |
==Personal life== |
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* Blogspot [http://esrefarmagan.blogspot.com/] Esref Armagan: History, photographs, how to buy his art. Also links to science journals, articles, and videos. |
* Blogspot [http://esrefarmagan.blogspot.com/] Esref Armagan: History, photographs, how to buy his art. Also links to science journals, articles, and videos. |
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* Tobias Teutenberg: ''Bilder aus der Dunkelheit. Zum sichtbar Taktilen in der Kunst Eşref Armağans'', 2013 [http://www.lisa.gerda-henkel-stiftung.de/content.php?nav_id=4280] |
* Tobias Teutenberg: ''Bilder aus der Dunkelheit. Zum sichtbar Taktilen in der Kunst Eşref Armağans'', 2013 [http://www.lisa.gerda-henkel-stiftung.de/content.php?nav_id=4280] |
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*https://www.researchgate.net/publication/332933641_Locke_and_Hume's_Philosophical_Theory_of_Color_is_Investigated_through_a_Case_Study_of_Esref_Armagan_An_Artist_Born_Blind |
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*https://www.artbeyondsight.org/sidebar/aboutaeb.shtml#aeb |
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== Further reading == |
== Further reading == |
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Revision as of 23:14, 11 December 2024
Eşref Armağan | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1953 (age 70–71) |
| Nationality | Turkish |
| Known for | Painting |
Eşref Armağan (born 1953) is a Turkish painter born in Istanbul, Turkey. He is a very prominent painter in Turkey, mostly known for his ability to portray forms, perspective and colour in his artworks despite suffering from complete visual impairment visual impairment, a condition he was born with.
Early life
Armağan grew up legally blind in a less than fortunate household and with no formal education. One of his eyes failed to develop beyond a ‘’rudimentary bud’’, meanwhile the other was ‘’stunted and scarred’’. [1] Having no visual perspective of the outside world, he resorted to experiencing the world through heightening his other senses, particularly through touch. He often looked to his father, Nazim Armağan, for guidance. He started to take interest in learning about the world at the age of 6. [2]
Painting process
He has painted using Oil paint for roughly 35 years. Eşref Armagan first visualises his painting before even touching the canvas. After which, he often uses a braille stylus or a rope covered in a sticky substance to create the outline of his drawing.[3] He requires complete silence before he begins painting.[4] He then uses his fingers to apply the oil paint. After he applies one layer, he leaves it to dry before applying a new colour so that there is no smudging. The art pieces themselves are created without help from any individual. He is also able to create art that has visual perspective.
His art style is one based on challenging the limitations that affect him via his condition. In an interview with Al-Jazeera, he stated that his art is ‘‘...to prove that I can draw by touch’’ as well as claimed if he were to ‘’..specialise in abstract art, the critics would dismiss my efforts as ‘he paints things as he feels them’ ’’ rather than a skill to see past his blindness [5]
Psychological subject
In 2004, he was the subject of a study of human perception, conducted by the psychologist John M. Kennedy[6] of University of Toronto and proved that a person who is blind from birth can develop absolutely normally without visual contact with the outside world. In 2008 two researchers from Harvard, Amir Amedi[7] and Alvaro Pascual-Leone, tried to find more about neuroplasticity using Armağan as a study case.[8]
Both scientists had evidence that in cases of blindness, the "visual" cortex acts differently from how it acts with the non-blind. Pascual-Leone has found that Braille readers use this very same area for touch. Amedi, together (with Ehud Zohary) at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, found that the area is also activated in verbal memory tasks. When Amedi analyzed the results, however, he found that Armağan's visual cortex lit up during the drawing task, but hardly at all for verbal recall, meaning that some unused visual areas might be used in collaboration with one's needs from the brain. Moreover, in scans that were held while Armağan drew, his visual cortex signals seemed as he was seeing to the extent that a naive viewer of his scan might assume Armağan really could see.
Exhibitions and media
He has displayed his work at more than 20 exhibitions in Turkey, Italy, China, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic. He has appeared several times on television and in the press in Turkey and has been on programs on Al Jazeera,[9] BBC and ZD.
Volvo ad campaign
In 2009 Armağan was invited by Volvo to paint the new model S60 as part of a social media campaign.
Prior to the release of the S60, Volvo asked him to paint his interpretation of the then unreleased model as a promotional piece. This was a key demonstration of his ability to sense form and perspective, as well as contrast between the landscape and the car.
Armagan absorbs the information by walking around the car, highlighting the key aspects of the car model such as the hood and the side. He then depicts the car on a road using a ¾ perspective. His work was documented in a series of videos posted on Volvo's Facebook page.[10] The resulting painting of the S60 sold on eBay for US$3,050. The Canadian non-profit charity organization World Blind Union (WBU) was the benefactor of the auction.[11]
Other works
Other more notable works include his exhibitions for organizations such as the Art Education for the Blind,[12] a non-profit organization aimed at making art accessible to those with visual impairment.
Personal life
Armağan is married and has two children.
Notes
- ^ https://tacpac.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Senses-special-The-art-of-seeing-without-sight.pdf
- ^ https://artdesignasia.com/beyond-sight-the-incredible-artistic-journey-of-esref-armagan/#:~:text=One%20of%20the%20most%20remarkable,explore%20their%20textures%20and%20shapes.
- ^ https://www.trtworld.com/magazine/esref-armagan-a-blind-turkish-painter-who-sees-through-his-fingertips-53568
- ^ https://painterskeys.com/without-sight/
- ^ https://www.aljazeera.com/program/al-jazeera-world/2022/6/15/painting-in-the-dark
- ^ "John M. Kennedy: Psychologist".
- ^ "Prof. Amir Amedi".
- ^ Neural and behavioral correlates of drawing in an early blind painter: A case study
- ^ "Painting in the Dark". Al Jazeera. 15 June 2022. Retrieved 2022-06-17.
- ^ Volvo Facebook fanpage with documentaries
- ^ Ebay auction of S60 painting
- ^ https://www.artbeyondsight.org/sidebar/aboutaeb.shtml#aeb
Sources
- Official Sites— http://www.esrefarmagan.com, http://www.armagan.com/
- "Senses special: The art of seeing without sight" The New Scientist 29 January 2005 https://www.newscientist.com/channel/being-human/mg18524841.700
- John Kennedy's study at the University of Toronto.[1]
- Слепой художник Эшреф Армаган
- Blogspot [2] Esref Armagan: History, photographs, how to buy his art. Also links to science journals, articles, and videos.
- Tobias Teutenberg: Bilder aus der Dunkelheit. Zum sichtbar Taktilen in der Kunst Eşref Armağans, 2013 [3]
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/332933641_Locke_and_Hume's_Philosophical_Theory_of_Color_is_Investigated_through_a_Case_Study_of_Esref_Armagan_An_Artist_Born_Blind
- https://www.artbeyondsight.org/sidebar/aboutaeb.shtml#aeb
Further reading
- Kennedy, John. Drawing and the Blind (New Haven: Yale UP, 1993).
- Burk, Rachelle. Painting in the Dark: Esref Armagan, Blind Artist. Boston: Tumblehome Learning, 2016. This illustrated print picture book will also be available in braille and audio by 2017.
- How a blind artist is challenging our understanding of colour. The Conversation (2018) Dr Simon Hayhoe writes about the achievements of Esref Armagan
- Website [4] A comprehensive website with links to articles, books, videos, and photos.
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