New figurative trends in Turkish painting

This study will examine the innovative trends of figurative art which appeared as of the mid 20th century and their reflections on the Turkish paintings. For this purpose, it has been necessary in priority to take into account the historical development of figurative symbolism in plastic arts.At the light of the findings that we possess today we notice that the first examples of figurative symbolism are revealed by prehistoric cave paintings. We witness that the figurative symbolism which displayed elaborate particularities during the antique civilizations, has made its way to date despite many interruptions caused by interpretation bans at several occasions during history. In this sense, in spite of intangible or minimalist approaches that we encounter with modern art, resulting from the search for inherence, figurative art has been developing and moving on during the 20th century. Especially the innovative understanding put forward in the figurative field by some artists emerged during the 1960?s, the Neo-Expressionism movement which marked the 1980?s, the Italian trans avant-garde tenants or again some artists with a post-modern approach are all being gathered under the name of neo-figurative art.As we view the Turkish Painting Art at the light of all this data which clearly states the historical evolution of figures in the Painting Art, we confirm that one of the most important momentums performed in the Turkish Painting which entered a process of Occidentalism together with the Reform, were done so by the new figurative trends appeared after 1960. The biggest factor which prepared this was the effort of individualism in the Turkish Painting. Although reflections of artistic movements developing in the West during the 20th century were also observed in our country, one cannot deny the existence from the beginning of an intense search for identity. The process of the Turkish painting which goes from the post 1960?s until today and especially focused on by our study is considered to be the period where this search for identity was lived most intensively even though it so did in parallel with those neo-figurative movements witnessed in the West.