This interview with the Turkish artist Nermin Er was published in Bant’s May-June 2009 issue. This is the translated English version of the original interview.
Interview by Arzu Uzunali
Her job is animation and her passion is playing with papers, light and shadows.
We had the honour to meet and do an interview with the talented artist Nermin Er during her exhibition in Galeri Nev which was held in January and February 2009. Here’s the story:
You originally studied sculpture. How did you develop an interest towards paper as a medium?
Yes, I studied sculpture but my interest towards different mediums dates back. I have been cutting papers and making models from clay since I was very young. I am so lucky to have been able to turn this into my working area in real life. I am loving my job. I sometimes think that I am one of the loved ones. While I was studying sculpture, I mostly worked with metals, but my main subjects were silhouettes and shadows. And this lead me to always look for new materials. I have been very much into papers for a long time because I love the way they are transparent. Cutting and arranging them by taking advantage of the light and the shadows is something I developed afterwards. My sculpture education has been very useful in this sense. Let’s say, interest I have towards paper has grown into something else with the help of sculpture.
How did you start working with shadows? How did you develop the technique of placing light source behind them?
In the beginning, I was just cutting silhouettes. There was nothing behind or in front. I used to lift them up to the sunlight and look at the shadows. Then, for a while, I created spaces on top of the table resembling 3 dimensional towers. Because of the direct light, there appeared direct shadows. When I looked at it, I sensed something was missing. I was excited to think about the possibility of creating mid-tones. This is actually how the game started.
Were you influenced by the classical paper artworks? Paper art has been present in Ottoman art as well as Japanese culture…
No, my interest was grown later. I didn’t know about the paper cutting art named “Katı” in Ottoman. I am not very young, I don’t really remember the 3 dimensional tale books from my childhood, but I vaguely remember seeing one in someone’s house. When you open that book, the whole environment changes. When you see the paper standing up, it takes its place in the world you are living in. I was very moved by this, although I don’t exactly remember how old I was when I saw it. I think that day has an influence. Other than that, I used to play with clay a lot. One can develop things as playing games.
Paper art has a childish side to it. However when you include the shadows it becomes darker. Which side reflects you better?
To me shadow is more dreamy than it is dark. I think you can comment on shadow differently according to the impression it leaves on person. About the childish side, I used to draw a lot of charicatures when I was in school and I had picked animation as a job; they all belong to me. Therefore they are not coincidential but they don’t seem dark to me. I like the effects of shadows. I have tried working with shadows through other materials.
There are short stories to your works. People who have this kind of imagination usually have good storytellers around them. Is there such influence in your life?
As far as I remember there were good storytellers in my family but I cannot say I have heard a lot of good stories. It was more like a traditional thing. But for example we always had the radio on in our house. There was always the sound of the radio. I think radio has such an influence. The sounds you don’t see or know directly triggers your imagination. Maybe that had an effect, but it never occurred to me before as such before you asked me about it. I remember hearing a lot stories through radio. Sounds are always meant to be imitated and stories trigger the imagination. I am always curious of sounds and I always try to make little sounds, imitate them. It is again no different than playing games.
How do you start a piece? Do you usually have the story ready or do you sit in front of a table and start it?
Usually some topics come to my mind. And the first thing appears about a topic is like a stain. This stain is the one thing that I want to be seen first. After that, I build the rest of the composition. It’s not really like something that you sit in front of a table and start doing. However, there has been times like that too. But usually I have the topic before I start. Sometimes I write about the topic on a piece of paper. Not drawing but writing. For example I start cutting from the one thing that I want to emphasize most. For this exhibition, there was this guy who had his feet in the water. The feet in water was the one thing I thought first about that, I had dreamt of having my feet inside the water. Then came the rest of the composition. It was also true for the bats. I wanted to create the image of seeing them by chance inside the cave. They are in their natural environment, inside the cave, but we are not. They are just staring, not posing, just looking with their eyes wide open.
How long does it take to complete a piece?
That depends. If the composition is done in my head I sometimes can finish the piece in a really short time since I have become really fast in terms of the technique now. I don’t waste time with it. In cases like that I can finish a piece in about 2 or 3 days. But for example there was this piece in the exhibition which had 1 milimeter squares behind it… Making only those squares took about two and a half month. The forest piece took about 3 months. It really depends if I have the composition ready in my head or not.
What materials do you use?
I usually use white cansons. Not the thickest ones though, since they have to be half transparent for I use the light. Other than that, I may use very transparent papers too like for example when I want to picture the water, the smog or the fire. But usually the white cansons. I like working with accessible materials where the work is totally dependent on the idea. I try to think that way too. You can get the material I use from every stationery. Not the material but the idea to be rare is exciting for me.
Paper is not a durable material. Do you have any concerns about this?
Actually the early works I have done have been ruined for they haven’t been exhibited properly and for I didn’t really take good care of them. But this way, they are in closed boxes. There’s glass in front and there’s the light at the back. I have works dating back to 10-15 years which have been exhibited this way and they are fine. Other than that, I don’t find this really important. I like doing them and showing them and I don’t think there’s really more to it. I try to shoot them as good as possible which is really difficult. Since they are 3 dimensional they look like illustrations and it is hard to balance the colours, etc… They are just photos that describe the works. At least I try to do that but I try not to worry too much. Like us, they live and die if they have to.
You work with detailed stuff. Cutting the papers one by one, the shadows, etc… Does this working style also reflect your personality too?
No, I am only like that with my work. I am not that obsessive. I am obsessive with the work but you have to see my wardrobe and my house. There shoudn’t be the scarf in the socks drawer. They should all be socks and hang out there…
The traits of the city life are really present in your work…
Yes, the city is definitely there but I also really like the nature. I can’t go out camping here and there but at home the tv is always on with the nature documentary channels. I read about it a lot too. I like reading books about the way animals think. I really like it. I was born in the city but grew up in a house woth a garden. In a way they merge, I don’t think they are really seperated.
How did the first personal exhibiton in Gallery Nev take place?
It was in October, 2004. Before that I participated in some other exhibitions too. In year 2000, I participated in an Istanbul themed exhibition in Aksanat. The same year, the same work was exhibited in Israil too. Similar exhibitions took place in Mental Klinik the same year. The theme was game and I had prepared toys with paperworks. But in order to survive I do animation in an agency and it is quite a busy job. Therefore there are long gaps between the exhibitions.
Was this last exhibition which presented you only exciting for you?
Even though it wasn’t my first exhibition, it was really exciting for me. The first one did pretty well too but because there has been a long time in between the two it was kind of tense. I was kind of worried that it would remain below the first one but I got really good feedback.
Who was interested?
I got feedback from both youngsters and from middle aged and over middle aged people. Since I am also doing animation and standing in a more trendy spot, I had thought that it would only be young people but it wasn’t like that and I was quite happy about it. It’s not about the age when you find something of an interest, it just pulls you. I actually know this from myself.
You are doing an original work in Turkey, and using original materials. Are there any similar works that you follow
I haven’t actually scene works with shadows. And as I said earlier, since I am working with another medium I can’t really follow these things. But I think one has to stick to individuality. You have to take risks.
What effects does animation have in your life?
I studied sculpture but I was cutting papers and working with clay even before that and I find this really lucky. I am lucky in the sense of doing jobs that define me. Animation is not a very monotonous job. It is not a job that you cannot carry into your life. I am creating a character. In order to create animation characters, every single thing in life is important. Otherwise you cannot do the job. I mean, tomorrow I may have to do the character of the tea glass I am drinking tea from at the moment. I have to look at this glass and dream about it. Therefore I am not doing some job that becomes someone completely else when I get home. Everything you see is a material and a supporter. I think this effects me positively.
What characters have you created so far?
Turkcell chicken, Pinar dolls, Petrol Ofisi mole, Max lion, Avea cuckoo. There are many actually. I work at Anima, it is a good animation agency. We have created long living characters.
What animation characters are you a fan of?
From the older days, I am definitely a fan of Pink Panther. Other than that, there are not many old ones but there are many new ones. Pixar’s many works, Ratatouille; I am a fan of every single character in the family. There are so many more from the current works actually.
