Omer Uluc (Turkish, b. 1931)

There is something primeval about the paintings of Omer Uluc. In his figural paintings, objects or figures are scattered throughout the field, as in prehistoric cave paintings, rather than necessarily occupying the prominent positions within the painting as one might expect.

Uluc is not bound by theory. Indeed, when questioned his own explanation of his motivation to paint, the source of inspiration, are often contradictory. His work is as compulsive as it is gestural, as the broad range of themes suggests. The choice of theme itself is offered without explanation.

As related by the artist in an interview in 2002:
'There is this question constantly being directed to me: How does this happen? Where does the movement come from? Does it come from calligraphy, the waters of the Bosphorus or the stone Ottoman turbans? I keep saying it is not one of them. It is genetic; this has something to do with libido, with the oscillation of the earth in the cosmos; these are oscillations of particle physics. I think these explain the movement much better; probably this is also the case.' Omer Uluc, March 18 Istanbul, quoted in Omer Uluc: A, B, C, D, Sea Devils, Istanbul, 2002, p.21.