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Post No Eternels

Burhan Cahit Doğançay

Artwork Details

Post No Eternels
1984
Burhan Cahit Doğançay
collage, fumage, acrylic, and gouache on paper
23 1/16 x 19 1/16 x 2 1/16 in. (58.58 x 48.42 x 5.24 cm)
Anonymous gift
2005/2.66

Description

Subject Matter:

Doğançay was inspired by urban walls and graffiti art. Growing up in Turkey and eventually moving to New York City, he was exposed to a lot of street art and would incorporate the walls he saw into his own work. To the artist, walls show social and political changes through the weathering and markings that are left behind by people, government, and forces of nature. The phrase, "post no eternels" is written within the red rectangle twice. "Eternel" is French for eternal. The phrase could be referencing the fact that urban walls are ever-changing which was one of the aspects the artists loved about them.

The red rectangle is made of a thin piece of wood which appears to be balsa wood or a similar equivalent. With the green border that has a thicker bottom edge it is reminiscent of a boarded up window in an abandoned building. The bricks surrounding it are painted on and add to the illusion that this is a piece of urban art. The hearts have some darker coloration that is likely a result of fumage, which is an impression left by the smoke of a candle.

Usage Rights:

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