Home / Art / The Painter of the Gloomy yet Dreamy : Komet

The Painter of the Gloomy yet Dreamy : Komet

14 June 2021

cover : Artam [1]

Komet portrait. (n.d.). [Photograph]. Galeri Soyut. [2]

Komet is a painter , poet and engraving master known for his figurative paintings that display his imagination. His real name being Gürkan Coşkun, he uses the name Komet ‘ which is close the english word ‘comet’. He was born in 1941 in Çorum. In his childhood , he was known for being a bookworm , so much so that he memorized Nietsche’s ‘thus spoke zarathustra’. In his middle school years , his strict painting teacher Hasan Sağlam influenced him to be a painter . His natural talent for painting was noticed by his teachers. Later , his teacher would join one of his early exhibitions. His teacher Hasan Sağlam would encourage him to join painting competitions in those years.When he turned 18 , he moved to İstanbul to get his university education at theIstanbul State Academy of Fine Arts (now known as Mimar Sinan Acdemy of Fine Arts) between the years of 1960–1967. Simultaneously , he worked as a paintr at the studios of Halil Dikmen and Zeki Faik İzer.

Until he was finished with university, he was known with his real name. Later , he changed his name to ‘komet’ that means the ‘comet’ . However , the name was also inspired by the Rock&Roll band ‘Bill Halet and the Comets’. In his years in the academy, he was known to be an idel , rebellious student. He would often disagree with his proffessors and he was known with his mockery. His attitude in the academy were not accepted and eventually , in 1963 he was expelled from school . However , another famous artist Bedri Rahmi accepted him in his studio. He is still living in İstanbul and painting in his stuido.

Artam, & K. (n.d.). *Komet* [Painting]. Artam.

He is stated as one of the pioneers of the fantastic realism movement in Turkey. His paintings are expressions of his imagination , sometimes with hints of mythology , sometimes result of his jokester spirit and sometimes his philosophy. However , his beginning point is usually natural formations of blotches of paint. He states that , after that he tries to make up his story and imagine his composition. The places that take part in his paintings are rather insubstantial or fantasy. The figures that take part in these imaginary places portrayed as in the middle of their motion’.

*“Kentauri”, oil on canvas, 133×92 cm (İsmail Yalçınkaya collection)*. (n.d.). [Painting]. Artam. [4]

Towards the middle of the 1970s, he started to produce works that showed continuity with the meaning and psychological atmosphere of his old paintings. However, since these years, Western types replaced the villager and urbanite Turkish type, and single figures and double or triple figure groups replaced irregular crowded groups.From 1973 to 1981, the artist painted paintings dominated by Neo-Romantic, Neo-Expressionist and Post-Modernist expressions, respectively, and after this date, she reached a completely independent expression. Komet is known for his unique style of painting and his art expands certain cathegorizations.

References

Bir Çocuk Ressam Komet. (n.d.). Birgün Bir Yerde. Retrieved June 13, 2021, from http://birgunbiryerde.blogspot.com/2013/08/bir-cocuk-ressam-komet.html
NTV. (2020, January 4). Benim Sanatım (Komet) 4 Ocak 2020. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSgF9b_tnMI
Galeri Soyut. (2021, January 13). Komet – Ressam | Sanatçı | Artist | Galeri Soyut Sanat Galerisi. Galeri Soyut – Sanat Galerisi | Ankara. https://www.galerisoyut.com.tr/artist/komet/
Düşler dünyasının gizil ressamı KOMET – Artam Antik A.Ş. Müzayede. (n.d.). Artam. Retrieved June 13, 2021, from https://artam.com/makaleler/sanatci/dusler-dunyasinin-gizil-ressami-komet
Türkiye Cumhuriyet Merkez Bankası. (n.d.). Türkiye Cumhuriyet Merkez Bankası | Sanal Müze | KOMET (GÜRKAN COŞKUN). Türkiye Cumhuriyet Merkez Bankası Sanal Müze. Retrieved June 14, 2021, from https://web.archive.org/web/20151125095134/http://sanalmuze.tcmb.gov.tr/sanalmuze/tr/sanat-koleksiyonu/s/173/KOMET+_GURKAN++COSKUN_

Image Resources

Artam, & K. (n.d.). Komet [Painting]. Artam. https://artam.com/makaleler/sanatci/dusler-dunyasinin-gizil-ressami-komet
Komet portrait. (n.d.). [Photograph]. Galeri Soyut. https://www.galerisoyut.com.tr/artist/komet/
Artam, & K. (n.d.). Komet [Painting]. Artam. https://artam.com/makaleler/sanatci/dusler-dunyasinin-gizil-ressami-komet
“Kentauri”, oil on canvas, 133×92 cm (İsmail Yalçınkaya collection). (n.d.). [Painting]. Artam. https://artam.com/makaleler/sanatci/dusler-dunyasinin-gizil-ressami-komet