Mobile Photography & Art – Portrait of an Artist – Seeing Through The Eyes Of Tuba Korhan
We are delighted to bring to you the seventh in our brand new series of interviews within our Portrait of an Artist column entitled “Seeing through the eyes…”. This is a section that has been created by our wonderful Portrait of an Artist Editor, Ile Mont. Mont has been inspired by the life and works of Carolyn Hall Young, as so many of us have. Young was the main contributor to our Portrait of an Artist Flickr pool and filled it with portraits of so many wonderful people, not only of herself. It is for this reason that Mont wanted to create this section, to enable us to view the artists style through their own eyes. At the end of each interview, Mont will keep Young’s tradition alive, with a portrait of herself, seen through the eyes of the artist. In this case, you will see that at the end of this interview there is a portrait of Mont, seen through the eyes of Tuba Korhan, what a gift!
Please continue to post your mobile portraiture to our dedicated Flickr group, this way, Mont will search through these artists first to interview. (foreword by Joanne Carter).
All images in this interview ©Tuba Korhan, with the final images a collaboration ©Ile Mont/Tuba Korhan
(To view our other published interviews in this series, please go here).
Would you like to introduce yourself?
I am an interior architect and a mobile photographer who works and resides in Ankara Turkey.
What does “being creative” mean to you?
I think creativity is an indispensable part of our nature and it is a potential which exists in all of us. The important thing is finding our creative outlet to express ourselves in an artistic context.
Can you describe the time when you first realised that creating was something you absolutely had to do?
I was an only child and when I remember myself as a kid; I had a passion for drawing pictures, making my own dolls by cutting and pasting old magazines or sewing clothes, making furniture from different materials for my barbie dolls. In short, for as long as I can remember I love to be creative.
After graduating from university, I have been searching for a new outlet for my artistic creativity in addition to my profession as an interior architect. Lately I found it in mobile photography.
What are you trying to communicate with your art?
I create images which I can describe as surreal or dreamlike, they come from my observations, experiences and of course imagination. By using my emotions and thoughts I try to shape a visual integrity, which may go on its own journey to interact and engage with viewers.
Why portraits and self portraits?
Portraiture delivers maximum impact and depicts emotions in a distinctive way. I am excited by looking beneath the surface, studying the relation between people and their surroundings, capturing the essence of the subject’s character and then projecting it into an image I create.
What do you think are the ups and downs about working with your own image?
As Rembrandt said “Practice what you know and it will help to make clear what now you do not know”.
Self portraits are convenient exercises, the model is always available and has no rejection to be captured. The hard part working with a self-portrait can be in really looking at yourself and sharing the intimacy with the viewers.
Is there an artwork you are most proud of?
Punk Princess is one of my favorites and it was on the cover of Royal Photographic Society’s Contemporary Photography Summer Journal on 2016.
https://issuu.com/bjsdesign/docs/summer_2016_journal_final_for_issuu
How do you know when a work is finished?
It is hard for me to decide if a work in progress finished or not. Actually I always leave it a side a few days or at least a night and then re-examine it from a new perspective.
What kind of creative patterns, routines or rituals do you have?
Since I have my iPhone with me all the time, I try to capture every object, pattern or scene I find interesting and I like. These images usually reminds me of a scene in a movie maybe a mythical creature or a character from a fairy tale. Without planning anything beforehand I prefer to improvise as the process develops.
What inspires you?
I am inspired initially by an idea by just looking through my photos choosing those which would trigger some emotions and thoughts. In fact my interest go beyond design (which is my profession) and photography. I embrace a variety of media anything from fashion to literature. I am influenced by classical paintings as well as pop culture.
What are your favorite tools and apps while creating?
I always capture my photos with my iPhone (6S Plus). I prefer to do my editing mostly on my iPad (iPad Pro) because nearly for a year I am using an Apple pencil while editing. I use iPhone’s native camera for shooting in addition to it my favorite camera app is Hipstamatic and editing apps are; Snapseed, Leonardo, iColorama and many others which vary from time to time.
What’s the best advice you ever had about how to be more creative?
“Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs, poems, dreams, random conversations, architecture, bridges, street signs, trees, clouds, bodies of water, light and shadows. Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and theft) will be authentic. Authenticity is invaluable; originality is non-existent. And don’t bother concealing your thievery – celebrate it if you feel like it. In any case, always remember what Jean-Luc Godard said: “It’s not where you take things from – it’s where you take them to.”
Jim Jarmusch
What advice would you share with us?
Instead of sitting and thinking about being more creative let’s begin to work. Even if we do not satisfy with the outcome at least we can improve our skills.
Thank you very much for your insight and time.
It is my pleasure.
“It has been an absolute pleasure to be able to see a little through the eyes of Tuba Korhan. And it has been a huge honor to have been seen through her eyes too in these full of sentiment images”.
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Ile Mont
Ileana Mont Born in Mexico City, Ileana is a professional in graphic communications and advertising. She studied in San Diego, CA. in the United States and later on she returned to Mexico City where she worked as a copywriter, graphic designer and creative director for several advertising agencies, until she realized she had a more artistic calling and a very strong feeling for painting and photography. She learned about painting techniques with Mexican artist Irma Grizá and engaged in developing and combining her photography and computer graphics skills through her visual expression. She is now an independent visual artist and photographer and has been featured in some important blogs about mobile art and photography. Ileana enjoys looking for the beauty out of ordinary things and the special things of our everyday lives.
