BOZDAĞ Lütfiye
When daily problems pile up, when life becomes heavy, to get our breath back we dream about the seaside. A green environment, a blue sea and the sound of waves can take our stress, which lead us to a dream world an endless dream….
Sun reflection on the sea with sparkling movements, this sea sparkle creates a magical world. Because of nature and the sea it makes the painter’s soul feel better. The changing shades of green and blue can range from light to dark, and reflects the mood from calm to rage.
The sea is a calming influence of the painters varying moods, a spirit comforter a real friend. It’s indispensable inspirational, where he can be himself, and the only place where he truly belongs.
Ercument Tarhan is a painter who lives in his own interiority world. Therefore a sea represents the painters internal journey which is one of the most important metaphors for him, like his paintings e.g. “Morning Ferry”, “Conversation with Shadow, “Mountain and Marina Shadow”, “Endless Coast”, “Big Pier”, “Long Coast”, “Missing the Sea”, “Conversation with the Coast”.
Everyday watching the sunset inspires his immense imagination as through by magic, to create the series of paintings, conversation with the coast. In these paintings the painter runs out of time, but their meaning carries on. Therefore, the painters internal journey’s last stop, is the coast. The richness of life inside the sea is a resource for the painter looking for inspiration. The sea is generous and gives him back this inspiration that he thought he had lost.
The sea gives the artist a freedom. Freedom is the eternity of immensity, the waves vary colour of the blue whispers of life’s beauty.The sea is the painters enthusiasm sometimes he dreams of an embrace, to receive a lover with open arms or else the feeling of loneliness and sadness inside.In Mr. Tarhan’s paintings the sea is friend, and gives an unlimited view of eternity and freedom, serenity and peace. Hence he paints women and children who are bored from the chaos of city life and run to the seaside.
In the collection “talking to the Coast” the effect is a silent shadow. Mountains, trees, humans. Everything turns into self internal talk.
Everything that an ear can hear in a moment is a repetition of shadow. Thereafter no one hears even though he speaks out his internal thoughts, not even himself.

In the talking to Coast series the painter makes everything talk to their shadows. Maybe self questioning. Sounds from outside and thoughts are mixed together. Just then (on the assumption that) you can hear the internal answer calm down and look around. Stop this self questioning and fighting as the world is temporary. It is essential to live in peace…. here is nature…. in it’s own purity, without lie and calm. It is naive and sincere.
This is peace…..

Mr. Ercument Tarhan’s last series of paintings ‘talking to the Coast’ featured the colour blue. It varied from the rich shades to the colder colours, leaving a lyrical taste. Even though the dark-light contrast used there is no remarkable hardness. The artist uses a single colour and a blurring technique which it makes the contrast softer and opens the door in Ercument’s secret and lyrical world.