Under the Influence- Ozan Karakoc (Sara Aftimos)

     

    Ozan Karakoc is an interdisciplinary artist living in Los Angeles whose work includes photography, digital art, and visual storytelling. His art frequently experiments with contrast, balancing intricate details and vibrant colors with softer, more subdued tones to give the piece depth and interest. Another important aspect of his work is texture, which he creates by fusing geometric and architectural shapes with organic components like human figures or natural landscapes. Many of his works create a sense of tension between the body and its environment by fragmenting, distorting, or interconnecting the human body with natural or abstract components. He incorporates various components into his compositions, including his own photographs, licensed stock photos, magazine pieces, newspaper articles, and brushstrokes from acrylic paint. 

    Karakoc skillfully combines graphic and photographic elements, as these are the foundation of formal elements in his work. He frequently employs lighting and color schemes that juxtapose vivid, strong tones with subdued or dark hues to create visual depth. To create complexity in his works of art, he incorporates a variety of elements, such as organic forms, architecture, and scenes from nature, using layers and texture. He also employs symmetry and asymmetry in his works to direct the viewer's gaze and provide a feeling of symmetry or disturbances. His compositions have a surreal, even mystical quality due to the thorough arrangement of precise imagery and the constant fluidity of elements within. I intend to build on Karakoc's exploration of his style for my own project, concentrating on the ways in which human emotion interacts with and is influenced by the environment. 

    Karakoc's artwork uses digital modifications to examine how individual and social identities change, challenging viewers to consider the emotional impacts of fragmentation and the fragility of the body. Karakoc explores the boundaries between truth and illusion by fusing technical and organic elements. His work relies on the combination of graphics, and the use of both bold and softer elements in order to create the overall composition. Karakoc's use of layering and texture fuses the human figure with abstract shapes. I want to convey a sense of both connection and detachment by fusing these textures with organic components, with familiar settings or natural landscapes, demonstrating how the outside world can both influence and mirror internal states.