cem ersavcı
Photographs: Cem Ersavcı
Editors: Refik Akyüz & Serdar Darendeliler [GAPO]
Project Coordinator: Umut Sülün
Project Team: Elif Ersavcı, Adem Başaran, Seda Ersavcı, İrem Sözen, Necdet Uğur Yalçın
Design: Barek
Translation: Feride Eralp
Print and binding: Ofset Yapımevi
Number of pages: 196
August 2024, Espas Sanat Kuram Yayınları
Edited by GAPO, 'cem ersavcı' brings together a selection of work spanning six series: 'Unknown Island', 'The Edge', 'Social Landscapes', 'Outside', 'Northern Forest', and 'Bunkers'. Published as a bilingual Turkish/English edition on the tenth anniversary of Cem Ersavcı’s death, the book does not attempt to encompass his entire oeuvre, but instead focuses on works that reflect the diversity and consistency of his interests and approach. As a posthumously published first book, it brings together projects he worked on over extended periods or returned to repeatedly, some of which he chose to reveal on his website and others for which he made maquette books.These were projects he worked on over extended periods or returned to repeatedly, some of which he chose to reveal on his website and others for which he made maquette books. Remaining faithful to Ersavcı’s original selections and, as far as possible, to his sequencing, 'cem ersavcı' places the photographs at the forefront, with a calm and restrained design that contains small surprises at the ends of the series, and occasionally within them.
At a relatively early stage of his life and career, just as Cem Ersavcı’s photographic work was beginning to attract wider recognition and interest, he died in 2014 while travelling the world on a motorcycle, another of his passions. After his family and friends began working on organising and archiving his existing work, they decided to create a book, with the wish and encouragement of his mother, Hilal Aktopuk, so that his work would not be overshadowed by his early death. cem ersavcı was prepared with the hope of bringing a selection of Cem’s work together and introducing it to those who did not know him or his work; of commemorating Cem, as his family, friends, and loved ones, on the tenth anniversary of his death; and of opening a door towards greater recognition of his work.
“We first encountered Cem Ersavcı’s work in the fourth edition of the 'Young Talents' project in 2007, after we had brought the publication of Geniş Açı Photography Magazine to an end, but in a project that was still connected to the magazine. When we subsequently met him in person and encountered him in various settings, he was always someone whose company we enjoyed, with his modesty, calm nature, and increasingly profound conversations. We remember the great shock and sadness we felt when we learned of his death. For this reason, when we first heard from his close friends about the idea of turning Cem’s work into a book, we were very happy. The prospect of bringing together, for the first time in a printed book, the work of a photographer who had produced a considerable body of work so early in his career was exciting. When we were invited to become involved in the book project, we knew that a challenging but productive process lay ahead of us.” (Excerpt from the editorial text)
[Click here to view and download the editorial text titled 'A Journey left Unfinished' in its original Turkish/English PDF format.]
[Click here to order the book]
