Art has taught me to explore the social context of my work and to be more attentive to the human condition. Generating images reflective of my experiences and beliefs, is a critical part of the discovery of a personal voice. The use of story helps to explain, demystify, illustrate and celebrate events in my life. The use of story has become a creative force in my work.
I’m exploring the idea which is related with my problems. And my approach has allowed me bring concrete form to my thoughts and feelings. The more images and ideas, the more I question exactly what is it I am trying to say. Believing this, I wrote this landmark notes that challenged the notion of the project as a neutral power in presenting my photos.
The photos were taken while we visited to Mira in Boston. She joined to us some parts of day; she slept or ate with us because of her school schedule. My point for these photos is the authenticity of the experience of travel. Moving from John Barth’s words, they constitute the liminality and these are always threshold experiences which produce subjectivity.
The hotel rooms where are belonging the history and culture from :
Sheraton Boston, a Marriott Hotel opened 1963. In 2018 hotel workers went to strike which is the first in Boston hotels history. We stayed in this hotel between 23 - 26 August 2017 for leaving Mira to her housing for Boston Conservatory education.
Second Boston hotel experience was Residence Inn by Marriott Braintree, between 15 - 16 September 2018. The hotel was 10 miles far from city center and the room was bigger than average in city hotels.
Third one was the coolest retro vibe hotel in Boston. Music inspired decoration and specially vinyl library in our room made Mira amazed. We stayed in there between 6 - 7 October 2019.
Forth one is Gryphon House in Boston. Mira and I stayed between 2nd and 3rd November 2019. I try to find an emotional pitch, so “Blue room” was delivered with light writing. With long exposures, leaving the shutter sufficient time to etch onto the film of the movements of the soul.
Instead of capturing pauses, I captured moments between it happen just before and after something else…There is unseen, because I believe that viewer need to come back to blue room. Narrative photographs present some kind of action, with a single frozen frame or series of frames depicting the build up, climax, or aftermath of some significant event.
“With such long-term attention, and of course, being the mother, Gulsen managed to create pictures that show a deep trust, love and bond between them. Comparing the two projects we talked about what a difference a sense of intimacy and subjectivity make, and how much time might be required to achieve that feeling of intimacy with a subject.”
1 December 2019,
Allen Frame
1 December 2019,
Allen Frame
