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Serkan Özkaya transforms Herman Melville’s iconic 1853 short story, 'Bartleby the Scrivener,' into a limited edition artwork. The narrative follows a Wall Street law clerk who, after an initial display of strong work ethic, refuses all tasks, responding only with 'I would prefer not to.' Paradoxically, Özkaya faithfully transcribes the tale, visually replicating the 1990 Dover Thrift edition—a labor Bartleby stoically rejected.
Özkaya's history of transformative acts include surprising readers by transforming the front and back covers of the Turkish daily Radikal into drawings, replacing the typeset originals with his versions. This unconventional act extended to other publications such as the Swedish paper Aftonbladet, the German periodical Freitag, The New York Times, and the Kentucky-based paper The Courier Journal, collectively referred to as 'Today Could Be a Day of Historical Importance'.
His latest venture, the limited edition 'Bartleby, The Scrivener,' challenges traditions of artistic originality, mirroring the defiance seen in Bartleby's rejection of a conventional work ethic.
In her essay for the edition, Claire Gilman, Chief Curator at the Drawing Center, explores how Özkaya's mimetic act not only challenges time-honored traditions but also questions the very essence of artistic originality and genius.
Özkaya's history of transformative acts include surprising readers by transforming the front and back covers of the Turkish daily Radikal into drawings, replacing the typeset originals with his versions. This unconventional act extended to other publications such as the Swedish paper Aftonbladet, the German periodical Freitag, The New York Times, and the Kentucky-based paper The Courier Journal, collectively referred to as 'Today Could Be a Day of Historical Importance'.
His latest venture, the limited edition 'Bartleby, The Scrivener,' challenges traditions of artistic originality, mirroring the defiance seen in Bartleby's rejection of a conventional work ethic.
In her essay for the edition, Claire Gilman, Chief Curator at the Drawing Center, explores how Özkaya's mimetic act not only challenges time-honored traditions but also questions the very essence of artistic originality and genius.
April 11, 2024