John Craxton: Drawn to light = Isigin pesinde. [Exhibition catalogue]. Texts by Ian Collins. Foreword by Ömer M. Koç

Istanbul: Mesher, 2023. Soft cover. New. 4to - over 9¾ - 12" tall. Paperback. 4to. (29 x 24 cm). In English and Turkish. 259, [7] p., color and b/w ills. Printed to 1000 copies. The exhibition book for the first solo exhibition of British artist and designer John Craxton (1922-2009) in Turkey has been published in both Turkish and English languages. The book accompanies the exhibition that charts a joyful and creative life moving from war-time darkness into light and from monochrome to brilliant colour. Beginning with a foreword by Ömer Koç, the book contains an essay entitled "A Journey into Joy" by the exhibition's curator, Ian Collins, introducing Craxton's vivid art and life in the Aegean. Collins's article provides new research on Craxton's travels to Istanbul and both sides of the Aegean. Featuring nearly 200 works, the exhibition offers a wide-ranging presentation of Craxton's artworks, including paintings, drawings, prints, book designs and a monumental tapestry, along with photographs from various archives. The book is further enriched by photographs taken by the London-born painter Nicholas Moore, depicting scenes from his 1985 trip to Istanbul with John Craxton. John Craxton: Drawn to Light, curated by Ian Collins, friend and the biographer of the artist, brings together a diverse selection of works spanning the artist's long career.Featuring nearly 200 works, the exhibition offers a wide-ranging presentation of Craxton's artworks including a monumental tapestry, paintings, drawings, prints, book designs and personal effects. The exhibition charts a joyful creative life moving from war-time darkness into light and from monochrome to brilliant colour. The window display features an example of the vintage motorbikes the artist loved to ride.In addition to loaned works, Mesher's John Craxton: Drawn to Light exhibition features 44 artworks from the Ömer Koç Collection, whose holding of Craxton works is second only to the John Craxton Estate. Craxton's early influences include Picasso and Miró, and at the age of 14 he had studied An Allegory (Fábula) by El Greco, forever his favourite artist. Rooted in travels to Greece and Türkiye, Craxton's affection for Aegean culture and landscape shaped his adult work. His powerful compositions in linear colour reflect a subtle and highly personal symbolism as well as a sensual life in the sun. Mythology and archaeology, particularly Byzantine mosaics, Turkish carpets and Ottoman architecture were key influences in Craxton's work. For nearly 50 years, Craxton created many of his best works in an Ottoman studio on his adopted island of Crete, Chania. He was a prolific portraitist of cats and goats. Although having famous friends, he depicted ordinary people including sailors, shepherd families, and his companions in taverns and cafes. The Arcadian: John Craxton's insistence on complete creative freedom took him beyond national or political identity. His art, encompassing the broadest and deepest humanitarianism, speaks to everyone. Following visits to Istanbul over several decades the mosaics in Hagia Sophia and warm encounters with local people were reflected in the spirit of his pictures. Travelling along the Aegean coast of Turkey from Troy to Ephesus, his passions ranged from ancient sites to traditional cuisine. "Arcadia" was a word Craxton used habitually to describe this Aegean paradise, and he saw himself as a proud "Arcadian." He painted pleasure and lived it too.