In the mid-80s Karamustafa started to create collages using coloured decorative fabrics hung on the wall. The artist chose fabrics originating from the marketplace in Istanbul, but the motives included therein, including Elvis Presley or young women leaning against motorcycle bonnets – reflect the universal predilection for the pop-culture imaginarium, expressing the desire for a better, different life. Karamustafa made her collages almost fetishist, placing them in golden frames. In this way the artist would emphasize that the ornamental fabrics used took over the role previously played at homes by icons. The work entitled "Double Jesus and Baby Antelope" intensifies this sensation through adding a figure of Jesus which – when doubled – loses its exceptional character. The work, kept in a kitschy, ironic style, may serve as a comment on the visual culture of contemporary Turkey, suspended between tradition and contemporaneity.
Year: 1984 Medium: textile collage
Format: 185×230 cm
Material: fabric Acquisition: purchase Ownership form: collection Source: Rampa Gallery Istanbul Index: MSN: 4300-04/2015 Acquisition date: Sep 4, 2015 Financing source: Cofinanced by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage under the 'National collections of contemporary art 2015' priority