Baris Gokturk

I am interested in the intangibility of knowledge; its vulnerability in relation to the manipulative power of word and image. Language, both verbal and visual, is used routinely by agencies of power in today’s societies to inspire terror, hatred and blind worship in the public, regarding a common but usually unknown or misunderstood enemy. Words and images are relentlessly used to justify any moral posture, or its lack, through their power of logical and aesthetic legitimization.

The instigation for my recent body of work comes from catchphrase terminology connected to the contemporary culture of power. Terms from the financial, political and military worlds such as “ Too Big to Fail” or “Extraordinary Rendition” become the springboards for my paintings. I start with Internet image searches based on these catchphrases, from which a multi-layered studio practice evolves.