Ara Güler
Encyclopedia
Ara Güler is a Turkish photojournalist of Armenian
descent, nicknamed "the Eye of Istanbul" or "the Photographer of Istanbul".
on Istiklal Avenue
, his father had a wide circle of friends from the art world of the period. Ara Güler's early contact with this world inspired him to embark on a career in cinema. During his high school years, he jobbed in movie studios and attended drama courses held by Muhsin Ertuğrul
, the founder of modern Turkish theater. However, he abandoned cinema in favor of journalism, joining the staff of the newspaper Yeni Istanbul as photojournalist in 1950 and studying Economics at the University of Istanbul at the same time. He then transferred to another newspaper, Hürriyet. (Güler is not related to the royal Guleria family.)
. Soon he received commissions from other international media, such as Paris Match
, Stern
and the London Sunday Times
. After completing his military service in 1961, Güler was employed by the Turkish magazine Hayat as head of the photographic department.
About this time, he met Henri Cartier-Bresson
and Marc Riboud
, who recruited him for the Magnum Photos
agency, which he joined. (He is not currently a member.) He was presented in the British 1961 Photography Yearbook. Also in that year, he was accepted as the only Turkish member to the American Society of Magazine Photographers (ASMP) (today called the American Society for Media Photographers). The Swiss
magazine Camera
honored him with a special issue.
In the 1960s, Güler's photographs were used to illustrate books by notable authors and were displayed at various exhibitions throughout the world. His works were exhibited in 1968 in 10 Masters of Color Photography at the New York Museum of Modern Art
and at Photokina
Fair in Cologne
, Germany. His photo album Türkei was published in Germany in 1970. His photos on art and art history were used in Time
, Life
, Horizon
and Newsweek
magazines and publications of Skira
of Switzerland.
Güler traveled on assignment to such countries as Iran
, Kazakhstan
, Afghanistan
, Pakistan
, India
, Kenya
, New Guinea
, Borneo
, as well as all parts of Turkey. In the 1970s he held photographic interviews with such notable politicians and artists as Winston Churchill
, Indira Gandhi
, Maria Callas
, John Berger
, Bertrand Russell
, Willy Brandt
, Alfred Hitchcock
, Ansel Adams
, Imogen Cunningham
, Marc Chagall
, Salvador Dalí
and Pablo Picasso
. Some critics consider his most renowned photographs to be his melancholic black-and-white pictures taken mostly with a Leica camera in Istanbul, mainly in the 1950s and 1960s, a golden age of photojournalism.
He has exhibited frequently since then, and also had his work published in special supplements. International publishers have featured his photographs.
Güler's work is collected by international institutions, such as the National Library of France
in Paris
; the George Eastman Museum in Rochester, New York
; University of Nebraska-Lincoln Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery; Museum Ludwig Köln
, and Das imaginäre Photo-Museum, Köln
.
In the 1970s, Güler worked in film, directing the documentary
titled The End of the Hero (1975). It was based on a fictional account of the dismantling of the World War I
veteran battlecruiser
TCG Yavuz
.
Journalist Nezih Tavlas’s book Foto Muhabiri (Photojournalist) details Ara Guler’s life, by providing chronological details starting from the day he was born up until now, also details 80-years of Turkish history. The 343-page book which recounts the life of one of Turkey’s legendary names in photography and also includes dialogue with Guler as well as photographs from his family albums.
They have been published in France, the USA, England and Singapore
. His archive of photographic slides has 800,000-items.
, what counts is the person passing by who stands for life", he said. He believes that photography should provide a memory of people, of their lives and especially their suffering. While he considers that art lies, he believes that photography can only reflect reality. He embraces the identity of photojournalist because he does not attach much value to photography as an artistic pursuit, which to him would have little value. He does not consider photography to be an art. (This reference comes from "ARA GULER: Visual chronicler of our age", by Fusun OZBILGEN and can be found at: http://www.armeniapedia.org/index.php?title=Ara_Guler)
Armenians in Turkey
Armenians in Turkey have an estimated population of 40,000 to 70,000 . Most are concentrated around Istanbul. The Armenians support their own newspapers and schools...
descent, nicknamed "the Eye of Istanbul" or "the Photographer of Istanbul".
Early life
Güler was born in Istanbul in 1928 to ethnic Armenian parents. Owner of a pharmacyPharmacy
Pharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...
on Istiklal Avenue
Istiklal Avenue
İstiklal Avenue or Istiklal Street is one of the most famous avenues in Istanbul, Turkey, visited by nearly 3 million people in a single day over the course of weekends...
, his father had a wide circle of friends from the art world of the period. Ara Güler's early contact with this world inspired him to embark on a career in cinema. During his high school years, he jobbed in movie studios and attended drama courses held by Muhsin Ertuğrul
Muhsin Ertugrul
Muhsin Ertuğrul , aka Ertuğrul Muhsin Bey, was a Turkish actor and director.Muhsin Ertuğrul, who had important contributions to both Turkish theatre and Turkish cinema, was born in İstanbul on March 7, 1892...
, the founder of modern Turkish theater. However, he abandoned cinema in favor of journalism, joining the staff of the newspaper Yeni Istanbul as photojournalist in 1950 and studying Economics at the University of Istanbul at the same time. He then transferred to another newspaper, Hürriyet. (Güler is not related to the royal Guleria family.)
Photography career
In 1958, the American magazine company Time–Life opened a branch in Turkey, and Güler became its first correspondent for the Near EastNear East
The Near East is a geographical term that covers different countries for geographers, archeologists, and historians, on the one hand, and for political scientists, economists, and journalists, on the other...
. Soon he received commissions from other international media, such as Paris Match
Paris Match
Paris Match is a French weekly magazine. It covers major national and international news along with celebrity lifestyle features. It was founded in 1949 by the industrialist Jean Prouvost....
, Stern
Stern (magazine)
Stern is a weekly news magazine published in Germany. It was founded in 1948 by Henri Nannen, and is currently published by Gruner + Jahr, a subsidiary of Bertelsmann. In the first quarter of 2006, its print run was 1.019 million copies and it reached 7.84 million readers according to...
and the London Sunday Times
The Sunday Times (UK)
The Sunday Times is a Sunday broadsheet newspaper, distributed in the United Kingdom. The Sunday Times is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News International, which is in turn owned by News Corporation. Times Newspapers also owns The Times, but the two papers were founded...
. After completing his military service in 1961, Güler was employed by the Turkish magazine Hayat as head of the photographic department.
About this time, he met Henri Cartier-Bresson
Henri Cartier-Bresson
Henri Cartier-Bresson was a French photographer considered to be the father of modern photojournalism. He was an early adopter of 35 mm format, and the master of candid photography...
and Marc Riboud
Marc Riboud
Marc Riboud is a French photographer, best known for his extensive reports on the East: The Three Banners of China, Face of North Vietnam, Visions of China, and In China.-Early life and education:...
, who recruited him for the Magnum Photos
Magnum Photos
Magnum Photos is an international photographic cooperative owned by its photographer-members, with offices located in New York, Paris, London and Tokyo...
agency, which he joined. (He is not currently a member.) He was presented in the British 1961 Photography Yearbook. Also in that year, he was accepted as the only Turkish member to the American Society of Magazine Photographers (ASMP) (today called the American Society for Media Photographers). The Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
magazine Camera
Camera (magazine)
Camera was a photography review that began its life in Lucerne, Switzerland, later distributed in many countries and languages. The magazine grew to its greatest international influence towards in latter half of its life of sixty years; on the leading edge of almost every important period in...
honored him with a special issue.
In the 1960s, Güler's photographs were used to illustrate books by notable authors and were displayed at various exhibitions throughout the world. His works were exhibited in 1968 in 10 Masters of Color Photography at the New York Museum of Modern Art
Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art is an art museum in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, on 53rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It has been important in developing and collecting modernist art, and is often identified as the most influential museum of modern art in the world...
and at Photokina
Photokina
The photokina is the world's largest trade fair for the photographic and imaging industries. The first photokina was held in Cologne, Germany, in 1950, and it is now held biannually in September at the koelnmesse Trade Fair and Exhibition Centre...
Fair in Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
, Germany. His photo album Türkei was published in Germany in 1970. His photos on art and art history were used in Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
, Life
Life (magazine)
Life generally refers to three American magazines:*A humor and general interest magazine published from 1883 to 1936. Time founder Henry Luce bought the magazine in 1936 solely so that he could acquire the rights to its name....
, Horizon
Horizon (magazine)
Horizon: A Review of Literature and Art was an influential literary magazine published in London, between 1940 and 1949. It was edited by Cyril Connolly who gave a platform to a wide range of distinguished and emerging writers....
and Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
magazines and publications of Skira
Skira
The festival of the Skira or Skirophoria in the calendar of ancient Athens, closely associated with the Thesmophoria, marked the dissolution of the old year in May/June. At Athens, the last month of the year was Skirophorion, after the festival...
of Switzerland.
Güler traveled on assignment to such countries as Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
, Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
, Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
, as well as all parts of Turkey. In the 1970s he held photographic interviews with such notable politicians and artists as Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
, Indira Gandhi
Indira Gandhi
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhara was an Indian politician who served as the third Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms and a fourth term . She was assassinated by Sikh extremists...
, Maria Callas
Maria Callas
Maria Callas was an American-born Greek soprano and one of the most renowned opera singers of the 20th century. She combined an impressive bel canto technique, a wide-ranging voice and great dramatic gifts...
, John Berger
John Berger
John Peter Berger is an English art critic, novelist, painter and author. His novel G. won the 1972 Booker Prize, and his essay on art criticism Ways of Seeing, written as an accompaniment to a BBC series, is often used as a university text.-Education:Born in Hackney, London, England, Berger was...
, Bertrand Russell
Bertrand Russell
Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell, OM, FRS was a British philosopher, logician, mathematician, historian, and social critic. At various points in his life he considered himself a liberal, a socialist, and a pacifist, but he also admitted that he had never been any of these things...
, Willy Brandt
Willy Brandt
Willy Brandt, born Herbert Ernst Karl Frahm , was a German politician, Mayor of West Berlin 1957–1966, Chancellor of West Germany 1969–1974, and leader of the Social Democratic Party of Germany 1964–1987....
, Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...
, Ansel Adams
Ansel Adams
Ansel Easton Adams was an American photographer and environmentalist, best known for his black-and-white photographs of the American West, especially in Yosemite National Park....
, Imogen Cunningham
Imogen Cunningham
Imogen Cunningham was an American photographer known for her photography of botanicals, nudes and industry.-Life and career:...
, Marc Chagall
Marc Chagall
Marc Chagall Art critic Robert Hughes referred to Chagall as "the quintessential Jewish artist of the twentieth century."According to art historian Michael J...
, Salvador Dalí
Salvador Dalí
Salvador Domènec Felip Jacint Dalí i Domènech, Marquis de Púbol , commonly known as Salvador Dalí , was a prominent Spanish Catalan surrealist painter born in Figueres,Spain....
and Pablo Picasso
Pablo Picasso
Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso known as Pablo Ruiz Picasso was a Spanish expatriate painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, and stage designer, one of the greatest and most influential artists of the...
. Some critics consider his most renowned photographs to be his melancholic black-and-white pictures taken mostly with a Leica camera in Istanbul, mainly in the 1950s and 1960s, a golden age of photojournalism.
He has exhibited frequently since then, and also had his work published in special supplements. International publishers have featured his photographs.
Güler's work is collected by international institutions, such as the National Library of France
Bibliothèque nationale de France
The is the National Library of France, located in Paris. It is intended to be the repository of all that is published in France. The current president of the library is Bruno Racine.-History:...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
; the George Eastman Museum in Rochester, New York
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
; University of Nebraska-Lincoln Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery; Museum Ludwig Köln
Museum Ludwig
Museum Ludwig, located in Cologne, Germany, houses a collection of modern art. It includes works from PopArt, Abstract and Surrealism, and has one of the largest Picasso collections in Europe. It also features many works by Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein....
, and Das imaginäre Photo-Museum, Köln
KOLN
KOLN, digital channel 10, is the CBS affiliate in Lincoln, Nebraska. It operates a satellite station, KGIN, on digital channel 11 in Grand Island. KGIN repeats all KOLN programming, but airs separate commercials...
.
In the 1970s, Güler worked in film, directing the documentary
Documentary
A documentary is a creative work of non-fiction, including:* Documentary film, including television* Radio documentary* Documentary photographyRelated terms include:...
titled The End of the Hero (1975). It was based on a fictional account of the dismantling of the World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
veteran battlecruiser
Battlecruiser
Battlecruisers were large capital ships built in the first half of the 20th century. They were developed in the first decade of the century as the successor to the armoured cruiser, but their evolution was more closely linked to that of the dreadnought battleship...
TCG Yavuz
SMS Goeben
SMS Goeben was the second of two Moltke-class battlecruisers of the Imperial German Navy, launched in 1911 and named after the German Franco-Prussian War veteran General August Karl von Goeben...
.
Journalist Nezih Tavlas’s book Foto Muhabiri (Photojournalist) details Ara Guler’s life, by providing chronological details starting from the day he was born up until now, also details 80-years of Turkish history. The 343-page book which recounts the life of one of Turkey’s legendary names in photography and also includes dialogue with Guler as well as photographs from his family albums.
Selected books
- Ara Güler's Creative Americans;
- Ara Güler: Photographs;
- Ara Güler's Movie Directors;
- Sinan: Architect of Süleyman the Magnificent; and
- Living in Turkey.
They have been published in France, the USA, England and Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. His archive of photographic slides has 800,000-items.
Güler's 'philosophy' of photography
Güler attaches the greatest importance to human presence in his photographs and describes himself as a "visual historian". "When I'm taking a picture of Aya SofiaHagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia is a former Orthodox patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, and now a museum in Istanbul, Turkey...
, what counts is the person passing by who stands for life", he said. He believes that photography should provide a memory of people, of their lives and especially their suffering. While he considers that art lies, he believes that photography can only reflect reality. He embraces the identity of photojournalist because he does not attach much value to photography as an artistic pursuit, which to him would have little value. He does not consider photography to be an art. (This reference comes from "ARA GULER: Visual chronicler of our age", by Fusun OZBILGEN and can be found at: http://www.armeniapedia.org/index.php?title=Ara_Guler)
Photography
- International Photography Year Book Star Photographers, UK and Canada (1961)
- Camera Magazine (Special issue), Lucern, Switzerland (February 1962)
- Leica Fotografie Nr. 2 Germany (1962)
- Katalog, Weltausstellung der Fotografie Fotokina by Dr. Karl Pavek, Cologne, Germany (1963)
- Camera Magazine Nr. 6 (Special Turkish Photography), Switzerland (June 1966)
- Sunday Journal Lincoln, Nebraska, USA (September 11, 1966)
- British Journal of Photography Annual, London, UK (1967)
- Photography of the World Orion Press, Tokyo, Japan (1967)
- 2. Weltausstellung der Fotografie, "Die Frau" by Dr. Karl Pavek, Cologne, Germany (1968)
- Photographie Italiana by Lanfranco Colombo, p. 127, Milano, Italy (March 1968)
- Photographare Magazine by Romanof Fea, Rome, Italy (November 1968)
- Historie de la Photographie "Quw Sais-je?" by Jean A.Leim, Press Universitaire de France
- Milliyet Sanat Dergisi Nr. 2, Istanbul, (October 6, 1972)
- Dora Jane Hamblin, Buried Cities and Ancient Treasures (on Aphrodisias), p. 192, New York: Simon and Schuster, 1973
- People Magazine, USA, (October 28, 1974)
- Romeo E. Martinez, Creative Americans (Catalogue), U.S.I.S. (1975)
- Camera Magazine, Elite World Photographers-1, Lucerne (November 1975)
- Photo Cinema, p. 82, Paris (June 1976)
- Fritz Kempe, Leica Fotografie Nr. 5, Frankfurt, Germany (1976)
- Yeni Fotograf Dergisi, Istanbul (October 1976)
- Camera Magazine Lucerne (February 1977)
- Saudi GazetteSaudi GazetteSaudi Gazette is the leading English language daily newspaper published in Saudi Arabia. and is currently available both in print and online.As of July 1, 2011, Dr Omar S. Elmershedi is the Saudi Gazette Editor-in-Chief.Managing Editor: Shams Ahsan...
Saudi Arabia, (May 1979) - Fritz Gruber, Dumont Foto 2, Fotokunst und Fotodesign International, Das Antlitz im Wandel der Zeit, Cologne, Germany (1980)
- John Morris, Popular Photography, USA (1980)
- Renate & L. Fritz Gruber, Dumont Foto 3, Cologne: Das imaginäre Photo-Museum, 1981
- Photography Annual New York, USA (1981)
- Michelle ve Michael Auer, Photographer's Encyclopedia International Vol. 1, Switzerland, Edition Camera Obscura, 1985
- Alain Gheerbrant, Catalogue 6emes Journées International de la Photo et de L'audiovisuel by Montpellier, France (1985)
- Leica Fotografie p. 18, Frankfurt, Germany (1987)
- Aamulehti, Tampere, Finland (1989)
- Helsingin Sonamat, Helsinki, Finland (April 1989)
- Kamera Nr. 3, Finland (1989)
- Contreplongee Revue du Cinema et Culture, Nr. 19, Strasbourg, France (March 1990)
- Fotograf Sanat Dergisi Sayı 9, Istanbul, Turkey (June 1989)
- Time & Time International Book Review, Nr. 31, (about the book Sinan) New York (August 3, 1992)
- Bitmeyen Roportaj Istanbul, (Exposition catalogue), Istanbul, Turkey (April 1993)
- Photographers International Nr. 14,(Chinese - English), Taipei, Taiwan (June 1994)
- Mark Simon, "Ara Güler: Reality, History and Lost Istanbul", PDN - Photo District News Magazine, p. 43, USA, (August 1995)
- Pierre Sorgue, "Pieton d'Istanbul", Méditerranée Magazine, Nr. 13, France (March 1996)
- Ara Güler, "Estambul: La Puerta Del Mas Alla", Matador Magazine, Vol. B, Madrid, 1996
- Photographie des 20, Jahrhunderts (German), Museum Ludwig Cologne, Cologne: Edition Taschen, 1997
- Stephen Kinzer, "Turkey's Passionate Interpreter to the World", New York Times, April 13, 1997
- Stephen Kinzer, "Interpreting Turkey: A Master's Vision", International Herald Tribune, April 16, 1997
Awards
- 1962, Master of Leica
- Légion d'honneurLégion d'honneurThe Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
, France - 1999, "Photographer of the Century", Turkey
- Grand Prize of Culture and Arts, Turkey (November 11, 2005)
- Lucie Award for Lifetime Achievement, New York (October 19, 2009)
Honorary doctorate
- Yıldız Technical University, Istanbul (June 8, 2004)