Facial Perception – TRT 2:11 mins
The “Facial Perception” is an art of self-portrait that I recorded when I had an ischemic stroke, which resulted in a loss of my physical sensibility, particularly on my face. In some sense, it is a reactive enacment fictionalized out of my body in the state of unconsciousness. This deep psychological mood includes a vicious cycle that, at the same time, is a search for regaining one’s physical identity in a chaotic situation. This case is expressed by uncertainty in perception and rhythmic motions.
In Facial Perception, it is about “I”, the identity, who places himself as the subject of perception. Because here, the state of action that I experienced is reciprocal, is directly related to the endeavor of perception of self-physical existence and heads for a performance. In the background, one could observe a young girl’s movements continuously transforming into a vicious circle. This transcendental-like position is my soul and an expression of hopeless lingering in my inner world. In other words, I can hereby state that objective and subjective perception continuum coexist in my video.
In my video work, one could talk about many psychological reflections. Loss of sight that ignites hopelessness, clostrofobia, exteroceptive losses and similar traumas are elements strengthening this reflection. This video is in a sense a reflectory performance unconsciously fictionized over my body. This mental state contains a psychological vicious cycle that I defined previously and is a search for regaining my physical identity in a chaotical situation.
Tahir Ün was born in Turkey. He holds a BA degree from Language and History-Geography Faculty of Ankara University, where he studied History of European Arts.
He worked in advertising and public relations between 1985–1995 and gave lectures of photography at the Center of Contemporary Arts in Ankara and at Vocational College in Kara Elmas University in Safranbolu between 1995-1999. He is a co-founder of Institution of Photography Art (FSK) since 1994. His photographs are published in many magazines such as “Foto” Magazine by Revista Foto S. L. , Madrid, Spain, “Zoom Inter_national” Magazine by Progreso Fotografico Editrice, Italy and “Foto Kino Magazine tillaeg International Photography” by Konkordia Kvissel, Denmark since 1983 and accepted to some collections such as Polaroid Collection, Ransom Center Photography, State Museum of Majdenek and Rhizome Artbase.
Tahir Ün published three books titled “Imagined Views/Moments of Revulsion” Photographs (1990) and “The Poetic Introduction of Representation of the Hidden Photograph” Poems (1995), “Xinjiang : My Ancestral Land” photographs (2012) and “Ali” photographs (2014). In addition, his articles about image theory are published in various Turkish art magazines since 2000. His works have been displayed in numerous worldwide events including 26 one-man exhibitions. He has been working periodically at Xinjiang (Uighur) Autonomous Region of China, Balkans, Caucasia and Turkey as a freelance photographer and videographer. Tahir Ün is currently active also in new media arts and an instructor in the Radio, Cinema & Television Department of Communication Faculty at Yasar University.
17 Days Video Series 