İsmail Saray's 1976 Artist Book Leonardo da Vinci Examined in Context of 1970s Turkish Art Scene

A 2014 text published by ARTMargins Online examines Turkish artist İsmail Saray's 1976 artist book Leonardo da Vinci, placing it within his early career from 1973 to 1980 while he was based in Turkey. The analysis explores Saray's educational background and formative artistic practice during this period. Key events highlighted include his participation in the 1977 Paris Biennial and the 1979 Yeni Eğilimler (New Trends in Art) exhibition in Istanbul. Another significant moment was his guest appearance in the exhibition Sanat Olarak Betik (Book as Art), organized by the conceptualist artist collective Sanat Tanım Topluluğu. The essay also considers the broader political climate in Turkey at the time, which heavily influenced artists' working conditions. Saray's move toward dematerialization in his practice is traced through his artist books and works on paper. This shift included correspondence with fellow artists in other locations that led to the production of his artworks, a phenomenon noted as requiring further investigation. The article, written by İsmail Saray and published on October 5, 2014, is available via subscription through MIT Press.