Street Art: D Young V Istanbul Interview

Street Art: D Young V Istanbul Interview

17 Aug, 2015

Following his trip to Thailand earlier this year, D Young V went on route to Istanbul, Turkey for similar reasons–to put up street art/graff. throughout the city. From Beyoglu (on the European side) to Kadikoy (on the Asian side), he met and collaborated with local artists who showed him the lay of the land. Read on to learn more about David’s Istanbul street art expedition:

Dig in Magazine: What attracted you to Istanbul?

D Young V: I was attracted to Istanbul for numerous reasons. The city came highly recommended by artists/travelers that had ventured there previously. I was told that is was pretty much free reign for street artists to get their work up. This alone was reason enough to go.

Upon doing further research on Istanbul’s history and culture, I found myself even more attracted to the idea of traveling there. Istanbul is a cross roads for Europe, Asia and the Middle East. I wanted to experience being in an environment where much of the world both integrates and clashes culturally.

D Young V-Ares Badsector Collaboration in Kadikoy, Istanbul

D Young V-Ares Badsector Collaboration in Kadikoy, Istanbul

DIM: How would you say your experience there differed from your recent time in Thailand?

D Young V: I suppose the most obvious difference between Turkey and Thailand is the religion. Thailand is primarily Buddhist, while Turkey is primarily Muslim. Both religions are equal mysteries to me. In Bangkok, I spent some time exploring Buddhist temples and witnessing how the locals behaved in them. The temples are centered around statues depicting Buddha, the tapestries are filled with ornate depictions of people and places. The people visiting and interacting with the temples are a combination of ordinary looking folks mixed in with monks with shaved heads dressed in simple cloths. The attitude I experienced was very warm, peaceful and friendly.

D Young V street art in Balat, Istanbul

D Young V street art in Balat, Istanbul

The mosques I visited in Istanbul have no center statue nor center of focus from what I observed. Everyone inside prays within a simple dome, although they appear to pray facing in one direction there is no obvious focal point. This is unlike the Buddhist temples in Bangkok or the Christian Church dynamic of facing a preacher or speaker of some sort standing elevated from the congregation. I did see people speaking in some of the mosques I visited, but they were in larger groups on equal ground with those engaged in prayer. There are no depiction of religious characters, icons or people in the mosques I visited. Rather, their mosques are decorated with ornate symbols and patterns along the dome, walls and carpets. Honestly, I have had little interaction with Muslims before visiting Istanbul. This was my first time entering a mosque. It seems each time I visited one I suddenly became cool and collected, like a calming breeze hit me. Whatever I was thinking before I entered that particular mosque no longer mattered. It was very relaxing.

D Young V street art in Balat, Istanbul

D Young V street art in Balat, Istanbul

Just as with the people within temples in Bangkok I encountered, the people I encountered in Mosques in Istanbul were equally as friendly. Nobody stared at me or made me feel unwelcome. Unlike what I experienced in the Buddhist temples, the mosques require a dress code to abide to. Men generally can not have their legs exposed, while woman are to be covered head to toe. Some of these women have their faces covered, while others simply wear a scarf around their hair. This can be uneasy from Western eyes, but it’s not my place to question in this case.

D Young V street art in Balat, Istanbul

D Young V street art in Balat, Istanbul

DIM: What struck you most about the country?

D Young V: What struck me most about the country was the people. People in Istanbul are bold in their attitude and demeanor. They have a certain bluntness in their conversation that I relate too. They eyeball you (constantly) on the street and say what their thinking. They’re not afraid to express their opinions and they are very passionate about what they believe in. Most of the people I met were very helpful, friendly and curious about me, because I am a foreigner to them. People in Istanbul get wide eyed when you tell them you are from California. Amongst the men there is a very masculine demeanor (and they almost always sport a mustache or beard), but once you engage in conversation they are generally easy going and willing to converse. As far as the woman are concerned, they are equally as blunt, but gorgeous. The term ‘Turkish’ is a relatively new thing, the people in Istanbul appear to be a combination of various races and backgrounds, I find that this generally adds a particular ‘exotic’ element to the females. when I say ‘exotic’ I don’t necessarily mean ‘foreign’ – thats obvious. When people are combined from various different backgrounds over centuries, they generally end up producing very attractive women. Istanbul is a testament to that theory—no doubt.

D Young V street art in Beloglu, Instanbul

D Young V street art in Beloglu, Instanbul

DIM: What was the theme of your work there and how did you choose your color palette?

D Young V: I kept up with the general theme of my work that I’ve been advancing over the last few years. I feel that my recent travels are allowing me to evolve my ideas and work, building up a greater confidence in me. With each trip comes new changes in the work. I kept my palette to a series of blacks, coffee browns, off whites, rust reds and beiges. I felt that this was good representation to the colors I saw in the cities architecture in photos before hand. Upon arriving in the city, I was proven correct.

D Young V street art in Beloglu, Instanbul

D Young V street art in Beloglu, Instanbul

DIM: Is there much street art in Istanbul, mainly where you stayed in Beyoglu?

D Young V: There is an insane amount of street art and graffiti in Istanbul, more than I have seen in the cities I’ve traveled too. In my limited time in Istanbul, I would say that Beyoglu (on the European side) is focused more of well executed graff pieces, while Kadikoy (on the Asian side) has more of a street art element. When I say “graff” I mean letters, when I say ‘street art’ I mean imagery. Istanbul is a massive city measuring at 2,063 square miles (compared to San Francisco’s 49 square miles). It was difficult to explore the city in it’s entirety, so my observations are limited in this regard. I understand you connected with a local Istanbul gallery called Mixer Gallery? What artists did you meet through the gallery and what artists did you collaborate with?I had made contact with the director of Mixer gallery, Bengu Gun through Oakland based artist Nite Owl. She was extremely friendly and helpful, I had met local artists Canavar, Oneson, Ares Badsector and Gevsek through her. These guys took me throughout Kadikoy. I spent a couple of days with them getting up work and collaborating on out pieces. I’d say that was one of the highlights of my trip.

D Young V street art in Beloglu, Instanbul

D Young V street art in Beloglu, Instanbul

DIM: What were the local artists like?

D Young V: The local artists (mentioned above) I came across and collaborated with were very open to working with outsiders. I found them to be very hospitable, open minded and curious. Like many people in Istanbul, they hold very strong to their beliefs. They pursue their (street) art with a certain confidence and defiance that I found to be highly inspirational. Many of these artists get up in very high profile areas, they go large (often several stories high) and their work is very clean. I suppose Istanbul is a city that allows for a certain level of street art graffiti to run rampant. Its streets are filled with thousands unsolicited well executed pieces. Though the act of doing street art/graff. is “illegal”; I get the feeling that it is something that is generally looked over in many cases. I was told by the artists I collaborated with that “art” is viewed by the authorities in one way, while “political art” is seen as something very different.

D Young V-Canavar collaboration in Kadikoy, Istanbul

D Young V-Canavar collaboration in Kadikoy, Istanbul

D Young V-Oneson collaboration in Kadikoy, Istanbul

D Young V-Oneson collaboration in Kadikoy, Istanbul

Istanbul is a very politically charged city. The people are very aware and opinionated on the actions of their government and local political groups. The artists I came across are no different. Some art you see on the streets does not necessarily express any specific political belief while other art does. Often enough, both types of art are executed by the same artists. The ‘political’ art is most likely to get buffed or destroyed while the ‘non political’ art is more likely to be less tampered with. I could be completely mistaken, but that was my assessment from my brief stay there.

D Young V street art in Beloglu, Instanbul

D Young V street art in Beloglu, Instanbul

During the Taksim Gezi Park protests during the summer of 2013, protesters blockaded themselves from police in park and select neighborhoods. Thousands of people set up tents, a library, food distribution, a medical centre and their own media,. The artists I met in Istanbul were a part of that protest. Within the blockaded they painted murals representing the protests and the charged political climate of their city/country. Unfortunately, none of these murals exist any longer. I suppose the most appropriate term for the local artists I met is “Bad Ass”.

D Young V street art in Beloglu, Instanbul

D Young V street art in Beloglu, Instanbul

DIM: How did you decide where to put work up in terms of the city and specific locations in a city?

D Young V: I had done some research before I traveled to Turkey. I contacted artists that had traveled to Istanbul as well as Turkish people living in the Bay Area. The information they gave me helped me out in choosing locations. Once I arrived in Istanbul, much of my time was spent walking through neighborhoods suitable to put my work up in. Some areas are more difficult than others for getting work up. I found that Beyoglu is so dense with graff. pieces that it was hard to find appropriate walls. I had to really search through the narrow alleys, explore empty lots, climb on roof tops and get highly creative to put my work up there. Whereas Kadikoy is completely filled with murals, it still has a lot of available space, especially by the water. Balat is a primarily Muslim area with far less street art/graff., which allows for no shortage of available wall space. It also has a nice variety of dilapidated unoccupied buildings which are fun to explore. One may not get the mainstream attention they are are looking for there, but it’s an amazing place to explore/get up in. Like any city, each neighborhood is very unique and offers a different vibe. Doing street art in places I am unfamiliar with really allows me to explore in ways I would normally if I was just visiting as a regular tourist.

D Young V street art in Beloglu, Instanbul

D Young V street art in Beloglu, Instanbul

DIM: What is your process of researching a location before doing work there? And how easy was it to put up work in the country?

D Young V: I’ve never been all that good at internet research. I generally find people that have either traveled to the place I am visiting or have lived there at some point in their lives. I take them out for coffee/drinks and question the hell out of them. I write everything they say down into a notebook, then I use that notebook as a basic guide.If I am fortunate enough to make contact(s) in the city I am traveling to beforehand, those contacts become basic guides for me upon my arrival. Most people are generally excited that you’re taking the time to explore their city/culture, so they have no problem pointing you in the right direction. I’m a generally outgoing person, so I don’t have trouble meeting new people abroad. Most of what I do/see in foreign cities I make up as I go based upon my own curiosities and what other people recommend to me.

D Young V street art in Beloglu, Instanbul

D Young V street art in Beloglu, Instanbul

When I first travel to a new city I am very nervous about putting work up. It’s a new place, I don’t know the culture that well nor do I understand how the local authorities respond to what I’m doing. If I am able to connect to local artists that know the score (as was the case in Istanbul) my confidence level goes way up. Every city is different as far as the way street art operates. There is always certain places you can hit and others not to hit. Some places are very lenient and curious about street art, others are not. Once you do a run or two with locals, they show you the ropes. After that point, things become far easier as my own fears are dimmed. Things also get more interesting because you start hitting spots you hadn’t thought of hitting before. My motto on this trip was to simply do as the the Istanbul people do. If they smoke in restaurants, so will I; If they dance in the street, I will too; if they bomb local parks and the sides of freeways for hours at a time not giving a fuck about what anyone says, then I’ll do just that. Istanbul is an interesting place for street art-no doubt!

D Young V street art in Taksim Square, Istanbul

D Young V street art in Taksim Square, Istanbul

DIM: What would you say are the benefits of doing street art in a foreign city?

D Young V: The greatest benefit to doing street art in a foreign city is that you get to travel there. Everything is different when you travel. Your mind is forced to adapt and see things differently. You get a completely new set of eyes. The people act different, the food is exotic, the language sounds strange, the artists have different approaches on their work, you have to constantly search for new ways to communicate, etc.Perhaps, another reason I like traveling and bombing new cities is because all the responsibility is on me. I have more control in directing the process and success of the project. As long as I can get my work up, document and promote it, I’m doing good. Combined with the fact that every new place I travel informs me and my work, allowing for a level of evolution to be set in motion. I would be unable to achieve that evolution if I just stayed in the Bay Area.

D Young V-Canavar collaboration in Kadikoy, Istanbul

D Young V-Canavar collaboration in Kadikoy, Istanbul

DIM: Where to next? Any plans to go abroad again or will you stay in the Bay Area for awhile and do artwork here?

D Young V: I’ll be doing a large installation with 111 Minna Gallery in September for the Kaaboo Del Mar art festival in Del Mar. In November, I travel with Eddie Colla to Playa Del Carmen, Mexico to paint walls for the Dreamers Art Festival. The two of us also planning a Hong Kong/China project for Winter. Finally, I have three weeks in Israel this December to go bombing.

About the author

Cindy Maram

Cindy Maram is a Dancer, Public Speaker and our Founder & Editor-in-Chief of the entertainment, fashion and arts publication, Dig IN Magazine. She is an accredited film critic for Cannes Film Festival in the South of France, Venice International Film Festival in Venice, Italy, Sundance Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, Mill Valley Film Festival, SFFilm Festival and CAAMFest, as well as a runway fashion photographer and editor for London Fashion Week and New York Fashion Week. She also serves as a professional sports photographer and writer. She is a prolific art critic providing media coverage for Art Basel Miami Beach and surrounding Miami Art Week fairs. As a creator, Cindy is a writer, vlogger, podcaster, social media strategist and manager possessing a Bachelor's Degree from UC Davis and Master's Degree completing graduate work in Mass Communications + Popular Culture Studies with an emphasis in Film/Marketing/Writing from Cal State Fullerton. Further, she is producer of independent feature length and short films, and is committed to supporting the visibility of underrepresented groups in the media and film industry.

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