Thursday, August 16, 2012

The Stunning Retro Collages Of Muharrem Çetin

By Stephen J. Gertz

USA TODAY,  from Neptune.

We confine ourselves to rare books on Booktryst yet, because typography is such a key element in them, any time we discover interesting uses of the art that capture our attention we'll stretch our mission to include them.

MOTHERING MAGAZINE, from Mercury.

Muharren Çetin is an artist in Turkey who integrates typography into modern collages built upon retro graphic elements.

MIND, MOOD, AND MEMORY magazine, from Ceres.

The result is modern sensibility brought to bear upon bygone imagery, and his  collages often suggest pulp magazine covers splashing what lies within to seize and hold the attention of potential buyers browsing a newsstand.

HORIZON MAGAZINE, from Saturn.

The anxieties and concerns wrought by the modern world that are the bread and butter of general circulation magazines are expressed. Sensationalism, 'natch, is not ignored. 

WEIRD AND OCCULT magazine, from Uranus.

It is all quite familiar yet as if from tabloid outer space.

BRAIN WORLD, from Saturn.

He works the old-fashioned way: no computer editing of any kind. When he cuts and pastes he uses low-tech scissors and glue. Though it seems as if he must, Çetin  does not  employ digital manipulation to grade and match color from disparate sources. The uniform range of hues is organic. That in itself is something of a marvel.
 
WOMAN'S DAY, from Mars.

"Born in Istanbul in 1983, Muharrem has been working in the textiles sector since the year 2000, and entered the world of fashion after working as assistant to the fashion designer Baha Kutan. For the past three years he has produced designs for numerous fashion brands...

MEN'S JOURNAL, from Jupiter.

"Fascinated by anatomical imagery, Muharrem began collecting bits and pieces in the hope of one day being able to utilize them for artwork. Two years ago he began experimenting by layering his found imagery and continued to extend his collection by skimming through online libraries and scanning old books" (Milk Gallery). He recently made the transition from digital to, as here,  purely physical pieces.

BRIDES magazine, from Venus.

"I’m working as a fashion and graphic designer in Istanbul. Trying to stay away form noisy-crowded places and still scared of clowns," Çetin says.

HIGHLIGHTS for kids, from Pluto.

Coulrophobia, the fear of clowns, DSM-IV code 300.29, has rarely brought such fine graphic design to the center ring.
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Images courtesy of Paulo Canabarro at Abduzeedo, with our thanks.
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