Master | Ara Güler

EXHIBITION: “Creating the 20th Century” | LECTURE | PORTFOLIO REVIEW

Ara Güler was born in Istanbul in 1928. The most important living representative of creative photography in Turkey today, he has a well-established international reputation. He began a career in journalism with the newspaper Yeni İstanbul in 1950. He became a photojournalist for Time-Life in 1956 and for Paris Match and Stern in 1958. Around the same time, he joined the Magnum Agency. In the British Journal of Photography Year Book published in the UK in 1968, Güler was named one of the seven best photographers in the world. In 1962, he received the ‘Master of Leica’ award in Germany. Güler has held hundreds of exhibitions of his work all over the world. He has also interviewed and photographed numerous celebrities ranging from Bertrand Russell and Winston Churchill to Arnold Toynbee, Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali.

Many examples of Ara Güler’s photographic work are to be found in institutions such as the French National Library in Paris and the Sheldon Collection at Nebraska University as well as in private collections in Boston, Chicago and New York. His photographs are also on display at the Ludwig Museum both in Cologne.

Selected Awards:

• Earned the “Master of Leica”, a title awarded by Leica to only 38 artists in the world, Germany, 1961
• Named one of ‘Seven Star Photographers’ in the British Journal of Photography Year Book, Britain, 1961
• Awarded First Prize in Photojournalism by the Turkish Association of Journalists, Turkey, 1979
• Awarded a plaque by the Directorate General of Press and Information for valuable contributions to the Turkish Press, Turkey ,1981
• Received the honorary award of the Office of the Prime Minister, Directorate General of Press and Information for services in promoting Turkey overseas and was presented with the award by the then President, Turgut Özal, at the opening of the International Press Centre in Sepetçiler Kasrı, Turkey, 1991
• Won the Successful Communicators Award, Turkey 1995
• Received the Photographer of the Year Award from İFSAK (Istanbul Amateur Photography and Cinema Club), Turkey,1995
• Won the 1995 Successful Communicators Award of the Istanbul University Faculty of Communications, Turkey 1995
• Received the Honorary Award for Top Communicators from the Marmara University Faculty of Communications, Turkey, 1999
• Awarded the Grand Prize for Visual Arts by the Aydın Doğan Foundation, Turkey, 1999
• Earned the Burhan Felek Services to the Media Award, presented to journalists after 50 years in the profession by the Turkish Association of Journalists, Turkey, 1999
• Awarded the Order of Merit by the Armenian Patriarchate to mark his 70th birthday, Turkey, 2000
• Named Photographer of the Century in Turkey, 2000
• Awarded the Légion d’Honneur medal and title of Officier des Arts et des Lettres by the French Government in the Palais de France, 2002
• Awarded an honorary doctorate from Yıldız University, Turkey, 2004
• Presidencyof the Republic Of Turkey Grand Award for Culture and Art, 2005
• Ministry of Culture and Tourism Service Award for Culture and Art, 2008
• Awarded Vermeil Medal by the Municipality of Paris, 2009
• Lucie Awards for Lifetime Achievement, United States, 2009
• Grand National Assembly of Turkey Grand Awards, 2010
• Ministry of Culture and Tourism Grand Award for Culture and Art, 2011

Six doctorate theses have been written on Ara Güler including one in German from the University of Münich.

Major Publications:

• Fotoğraflar (Istanbul: Karacan Yayınları, 1980);
• Ara Güler’in Sinemacıları (Istanbul: Hil Yayınları, 1989);
• Sinan, Architect of Soliman the Magnificent (Paris: Editions Arthaud, 1992; London and New York: Thames & Hudson, 1992);
• Living in Turkey (Paris: Albin Michel, 1993; London and New York: Thames & Hudson, 1993; Singapore:
• Archipelago Press, 1993);
• Eski İstanbul Anıları (Istanbul: Dünya Yayınları, Ana Yayıncılık, 1994);
• Bir Devir Böyle Geçti, Kalanlara Selam Olsun (Istanbul: Ana Yayıncılık, 1994);
• Yitirilmiş Renkler (Istanbul: Dünya Yayıncılık, 1995);
• Yüzlerinde Yeryüzü (Istanbul: Ana Yayıncılık, 1995);
• Babilden Sonra Yaşayacağız (specially published on the occasion of Ara Güler’s 70th birthday; Istanbul:
• Aras Yayınevi, 1996);
• Istanbul des Djinns (Montpellier: Fata Morgana, 2001);
• Seven Landmarks of the World (Istanbul: Yapı Kredi Yayınları, 2002);
• 100 Yüz (Istanbul: Yapı Kredi Yayınları, 2003);
• Retrospektif – 50 Yıl Fotojurnalizm (Istanbul: YGS Yayınları, 2004);
• Ara Güler (Istanbul: Antartist Yayınları, 2005);
• Ara’dan Yetmişyedi Yıl Geçti – Best of Ara Güler (Fotografevi Yayınları, 2005,İstanbul);
• Beyaz Güvercinli Adam ( Fotografevi Yayınları, 2007, İstanbul);
• Ara Güler ( Hachette, 2007);
• Call of Aphrodisias ( Yapı Kredi yayınları, 2008, İstanbul);
• Ara Güler’s Istanbul (Editions Didier Millet, Thames&Hudson and 6 languages, 2010 );
• I’m Listening to Istanbul ( Masa Yayınları, 2010 );
• Creaiting The 20th Century (Editions Didier Millet, 2012)

Ara Güler also made the documentary film Kahramanın Sonu (A Heroine’s End), an account of the dismantling and scrapping of the Turkish battleship Yavuz.

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