In Search of Aziyadé Photo

Photographer’s Note

As one of the two winners of my Madrid quiz a couple of weeks ago Luko's prize was to give me a brief to produce a short series of images - in the end Luis challenged me to portray the emotion of urban or rural landscapes in Northern Ireland (to come at some point) and Luko came up with three challenges - in some ways I ended up playing with all three..........

The first was based on the semi-autobiographical novel 'Aziyadé' by the French romantic writer Pierre Loti. The book was his first and was based on a diary he kept when he served as a naval officer in Greece and Constantinople in 1876. Loti fell in love with an 18 year old harem girl called Aziyadé and although he went on to have many affairs of the heart he forever wore a gold ring in memory of her....the book also describes Loti's growing love affair with Turkish culture.

So - here I am in Istanbul searching for that fleeting glimpse of my Aziyadé - perhaps in this image we see the poet, the writer himself in the mind of the woman he loved or reflected as he takes the wrong turning and misses the longing of her gaze.......but this is modern Turkey....not the latter part of the 19th century.......and perhaps she is a harem girl no longer.....am I not inside the image but outside leaning against it......where might I catch a glimpse of her......a face in the crowd, at a distance, so close that I find it hard to recognise her for with age we have all changed.....is she vivacious or soft faced, happy or tortured by the passing of our love.......where will I find my Aziyadé? There are many potential relationships in this image............

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OK - I can come clean now as Deniz has discovered the opening sequence of the Penti website www.penti.com ........... take a look and you will see a little more in reference to this image..........spot the obvious links.....but is that my Aziyadé? Watch the video and decide.....is she serious or a parody of sexuality, is she enticing out of love or playing a game?

faubry, teutza, rigoletto, Dpbours, capthaddock, AnimeshRay, bostankorkulugu trouve(nt) cette note utile

Critiques | Translate

faubry (33156) 2007-11-08 1:24

bonjour kev, here we can see modern woman on poster and old and traditionnal clothes with these two women at the right,and poster woman throught at man.... with reflection on her hair... two images in one...interesting note.
take care
francine

teutza (10582) 2007-11-08 1:59

it's a real story in your photo.but what atracted me the most was that bus from the girl's head:)) it looks very funny
good one
teo

rigoletto (27600) 2007-11-08 2:02

19th century Aziyade may have had the daily life matters of Harem and the possibility of eternal love in her mind, but today's Aziyades are busy with filling their minds with ideas of wealth, look there, she dreams of having a van, as well as having a man. I enjoyed every moment of your search of Aziyade, and look forward to seeing some real Aziyades :))
Cheers,
Deniz

umutlu101 (5745) 2007-11-08 2:03

super!tres belle composition et tres belle photo!
paradox!!!!!

Furachan (0) 2007-11-08 4:18

As complex as any compo I7ve seen of yours Kev, with its own charming symmetry of 2Twos". Great reflection in that poster on the left too. I sense all of modern Turkey, all its tensions between the modernism of Europe and the old, veiled ways, all there in this fabulous image. Rich...rich.
bw,
Francis

vapours (7977) 2007-11-08 4:39

On the surface it looks like any normal street snapshot, but as I look deeper into the image I notice a lot more going on here...a lot of relationships as you say, and a lot of potential stories that can be told. Ive found myself looking at this image much longer than I would with anything else.

I loved Istanbul when I was there. Only spent 2 nights there but think I could have spent weeks there with my camera.

Not sure if you got my e-mail, but just wondering if you were still keen on Saturday?

Polonaise (5644) 2007-11-08 4:45 [Comment]

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designsoul (21394) 2007-11-08 5:29

A very strong, complex, and beautiful image that speaks of so much, Kev, from the cultural diversity of modern Turkey to the reference through Loti's autobiography to your subtle humour that is inescapable. Lovely reflections and beautiful tones again... missed your shots!
take care,
h.

Dpbours (220) 2007-11-08 5:46

Hi Kev,

Haha, are you looking for your Aziyadé, or a suiting penti?! ;-) Funny, but I do think she is serious, though seriously playing a game. The exact thing you are doing here with the viewer. The dualism between what's in her mind and the veiled reality to the right. Very nice.
People should take time to explore the power of your photograph.

Greetings,
Dennis

capthaddock (28640) 2007-11-08 9:22

Great one Kev, the reflections in the hair are well spotted, which add more to the "borrowed" studio photo. I guess "Penti" is turkicisation (is that a word?) of "panty", I'd like to see the website, not sure if it's safe for work though.

AnimeshRay (8929) 2007-11-08 13:13

Even before reading Francis's perceptive comment (as usual for him) I was struck by the complexity, the allusions, the contradictions, the irony, and the eloquent visual narrative that is projected by this photo. Kev at his best with this one. Bravo! A favorite!

mrbialy (2568) 2007-11-09 1:39

very smart, lots of details in the reflection as well and all of this in perfect compo, great

bostankorkulugu (35026) 2007-11-09 5:22

well miss penti is one of the most famous pop stars around here, nil karaibrahimgil, who writes her own songs including the one on the penti website singing for you there (or for Luko?)... and i find her hot with or without the "panties" on her hands...
a very sophisticated shot, well spotted and has the stories of my country, both on the left and on the right...

cheers kev

korkut

colinbrenchley (6137) 2007-11-23 15:15

Kev
I like the inclusion of advertising in the street when combined with life going on around the image. Added to a theme on advertising.
TFS Regards Colin

nerve (10218) 2007-12-14 2:21

well, some people believe that Aziyade never existed, his journal was mixed with unreal stories,and it was a cover for Loti's homosexual tendencies.. ;) and as a 'romantic' Western 'orientalist', he was not well regarded among turkish intellectuals in those times (even today as far as i know.:)..)

Nil is not an 'Aziyade' for sure, Aziyade was a Harem woman, a servant to Sultan, whereas Nil is among a group of young generation singers who strongly supports womans' rights and freedoms in Turkey, sooo similar, ROFLOL!! and she conveys this in her own "childlike" or innocent attitude in a very feminine way.. i quite like her words in her songs, because she is really witty and sometimes quite 'sarcastic' about social concepts in my country. she is a real actress..

not a bad one, which shows the duality of my country to some degree.. bw.