Anatolia...
... The cradle of civilization considered to be the westernmost extent of Western Asia
... The land from the Aegean Sea in the west to the mountains on the Armenian border in the east and from the Black Sea in the north to the Taurus Mountains in the south.
The history of the major religions is inextricably mixed with the history of Anatolia. Both have developed and advanced together. Early Pagan rituals slowly gave way to Christianity, only to be replaced by the Islamic faith of the invading Selcuks. The legacy of this religious past is scattered throughout Anatolia, from the ruins of temples dedicated to Zeus and Athena to the Mevlevi brotherhood of Konya.
The Anatolian land has always been a heaven of stones. Life would seem impossible here without stones to carve. All the civilizations that have inhabited this land have left wonderful and unique architectural marvels – churches, sculptures, mosques, palaces, and tombstones. They are all masterpieces of their time and remain magnificent to this day. There is a magnetism about these magnificent works that draws me to them as an artist who shares their history. I share in this exhibition these images of this historic land, its peoples, and their creations.
My work is centred on observing the world around me and documenting "real" images of the ancient Anatolian civilizations, their architecture, and their sacred sites in Anatolia. My photographs are most successful when they open a window into a hidden world we don't normally see. I work hard in my photographs of people to discover and capture what is going on deep within their hearts and minds.
My personal work is a reaction to the fake visual culture of advertising. I use a minimum of equipment and my light source is generally natural light with its infinite great variations. This is never an easy task; it takes the vision of an artist, along with the technical competence and persistence of an image hunter, to find and capture a great photograph.
I have been working in photography for over 25 years and owned and operated my own studio for 15 years before moving to Canada in 2004. I have used 35mm SLR and medium format cameras to create the images in this exhibition and in my book, Rewind 25. The majority of my colour work has moved over the last 14 years from film to digital and I process and print all of my own work.
My photographs are available directly from my studio, by telephone, or by email. Please contact me directly with your inquiry.
e-mail: imageician@gmail.com
P:778.889.6951
... The cradle of civilization considered to be the westernmost extent of Western Asia
... The land from the Aegean Sea in the west to the mountains on the Armenian border in the east and from the Black Sea in the north to the Taurus Mountains in the south.
The history of the major religions is inextricably mixed with the history of Anatolia. Both have developed and advanced together. Early Pagan rituals slowly gave way to Christianity, only to be replaced by the Islamic faith of the invading Selcuks. The legacy of this religious past is scattered throughout Anatolia, from the ruins of temples dedicated to Zeus and Athena to the Mevlevi brotherhood of Konya.
The Anatolian land has always been a heaven of stones. Life would seem impossible here without stones to carve. All the civilizations that have inhabited this land have left wonderful and unique architectural marvels – churches, sculptures, mosques, palaces, and tombstones. They are all masterpieces of their time and remain magnificent to this day. There is a magnetism about these magnificent works that draws me to them as an artist who shares their history. I share in this exhibition these images of this historic land, its peoples, and their creations.
My work is centred on observing the world around me and documenting "real" images of the ancient Anatolian civilizations, their architecture, and their sacred sites in Anatolia. My photographs are most successful when they open a window into a hidden world we don't normally see. I work hard in my photographs of people to discover and capture what is going on deep within their hearts and minds.
My personal work is a reaction to the fake visual culture of advertising. I use a minimum of equipment and my light source is generally natural light with its infinite great variations. This is never an easy task; it takes the vision of an artist, along with the technical competence and persistence of an image hunter, to find and capture a great photograph.
I have been working in photography for over 25 years and owned and operated my own studio for 15 years before moving to Canada in 2004. I have used 35mm SLR and medium format cameras to create the images in this exhibition and in my book, Rewind 25. The majority of my colour work has moved over the last 14 years from film to digital and I process and print all of my own work.
My photographs are available directly from my studio, by telephone, or by email. Please contact me directly with your inquiry.
e-mail: imageician@gmail.com
P:778.889.6951
Sunset in Birbilan Highland, Hamshen
Shepherds in Birbilan Highland, Hamshen
A woman in Hamshen preparing wool with spindle-making yarn.
Evil eye shop in Safranbolu.
Horse saddle maker in Safranbolu.
The Church of the Holy Cross built on Aght'amar Island in Lake Van between the years 915 and 921
by King Gagik Artzruni.
Ahtamar Island, broken Armenian tomb stone, Van.
The Armenian Monastery of St. Thomas (10th century) overlooking the Lake of Van.
The Mother Cathedral of Ani
Construction on the Mother Cathedral of Ani began in 989 by King Smbat II and was finished by King Gagik I in 1001 under the patronage of Queen Katranide. The famous Armenian architect Drtat was the designer of the cathedral. It is a four pillar domed basilica made of multicolored tufa stone. The dome has since collapsed from an earthquake in 1319. The cathedral is especially expressive with its numerous outer decorative elements, which include, rows of columned arches, capitals with delicate carvings, windows of different forms and magnificent grand portals. On the inside, Drtat placed pillars and groupings of columns to hold up the dome, which gave the interior an elegant and dynamic soaring effect. This effect later became the main characteristic of gothic architect
Church of the “ Sourp Prgich “, Holy Saviour of Ani
The Church of the Holy Saviour was built in 1036 by order of Prince Ablgharib Pahlavouni. The architect was probably Drtat, whose name is inscribed on the southern facade of the church. The structure has a central dome and eight apses, of which the eastern is relatively larger for the high altar. The nineteen-sided outer shell and the cylindrical drum of the dome, rebuilt in 1342 by Vahram Atabek, grandson of Prince Zakare, are sculpted with a decorative row of arches. Large frescoes of Christ with Gospel in hand surrounded by angels and a picture of the Last Supper is painted on the inside walls. The eastern half of the church was destroyed in 1957.
The bridge over the Akhurian/Arpa River in Ani-Kars, built in the 11th or 13th century.
Hakkari Wariors, in Van Museum
Ishakpasa Palace in Dogu Beyazit.
Ahlat is famous for her unusually large and intricate tombstones, dating from the 12th to 15th centuries. It has an important place in the Islamic world because of the variations in the dimensions and design of these unique Anatolian tombstones.
Avusor Highland, Ayder-Rize
Detail from 16th century Iznik tile from the tomb of Suleiman the Magnificent.
Detail from 16th century Iznik tile from Topkapi Palace, Circumcision Room.
Istanbul, Hagia Sophia
CAPPADOCIA
Cappadocia was the largest province of Asia Minor, bounded by Pontus on the north, Syria and Armenia to the east, Cilcia on the south, and Lycaonia to the west. It is now located in central Turkey.
The Cappadocia region is a large tableland formed from volcanic tuffs (a type of rock consisting of consolidated volcanic ash ejected from vents during a volcanic eruption). These rocks have been eroded by wind over ten thousand years to form chimney rocks which are a wonder of nature.
The first Christians came to Cappadocia in the second century B.C. to escape from the persecution of the Roman Empire. They created the underground cities of Cappadocia. The gates and entrances were built so that they couldn’t be easily observed, allowing them to remain hidden and safe from the persecution of the Roman soldiers.
I first visited Cappadocia in 1985. I shot my first photos of Cappadocia during this two day stay. I have kept going back over and over again to learn about this area; I know almost all the pathways, hidden tunnels, and underground cities and I have learned how their lighting changes at different times of the year. I believe I took my best Cappadocia photographs when I worked on a book project for Ahmet Ertug in 2001 (“Panoramic Landscapes of Cappadocia”).
Cappadocia
Cappadocia
Cappadocia
Rizokarpaso Church and Mosque. Rizokarpaso is a town on the Karpass Peninsula in the Famagusta District in
north-eastern Cyprus.
View of the central dome, with Christ Pantocrator surrounded by the prophets of the Old Testament, in the Church of Theotokos Pammakaristos (Joyous Mother of God), one of the most famous Byzantine churches in Istanbul.
Harran is known for its interesting cone and cubic shaped dwellings. They are made of clay and known to be naturally very suitable for the hot climate of the region. These mud-brick houses are up to 4-5 metres high and this height is considered to be the other reason for the cool and comfortable inside conditions.
Harran, ancient city of strategic importance, now a village, in south-eastern Turkey. According to the Old Testament, Abraham was moving from Ur to Canaan, which was in the Promised Land (Gen.11:35), when he rested in Harran.
Ancient roman city of Aizanoi - Cavdarhisar, Kütahya
Sultana Harvest, Yenipazar - Aydin
Multicultural man in Malatya
Bon appétit, Egyptian Bazaar, Istanbul