Friday, June 5, 2015

Art Critique, Berk Balkac does Frankenstein

I have thought much of the themes of Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" lately. Perusing the news, a big mistake I might add, one cannot help but be discouraged.  We are our own worst enemy. Humanity is embracing the evil and tearing down the good. In "Frankenstein," the brilliant doctor believes man can replace God. Victor Frankenstein pushed this point home in creating life.  The results? Deadly. Today, any deity that  has correction or criticism for us, in order to make us better and more loving, is savaged.  The horrors of today's world stem from our belief that we do not need God....in fact....humans are beings carrying God inside them.  Enough of this preachy sermon, let's get to Berk Balkac.  From Istanbul, Turkey comes the next great comic book (...or graphic novel) artist.  My good friend has created some Frankenstein art, which merits all of our attentions, today.
With a hint of Boris Karloff, and a lot of his own interpretation, Mr. Balkac creates a monster with contemporary and classic horror.  The green face and scars, created in the classic "Frankenstein" film of the 1930s are present, but the blank eyes suggest an emptiness that some may argue is present in the souls of today's mass humanity. The piece of art above is haunting and menacing, and in some weird way presents a warning to us...perhaps a warning of the consequences of playing God.
The gray, black, and slight bit of blue shades in the second sketch transcends our creature from the classic horror to a more surreal scare. Though brought to life by a mad doctor, the life isn't one that we recognize.  Despite a beating heart and brain activity, when the being approaches, we see the once rotting flesh, and a corpse-like hue.  Though the mad scientist is the real monster in "Frankenstein," our materialistic lifestyles blame the creation, instead of the root cause...allowing the real monster to fester and grow.  Mr. Balkac, again, in his sketches, brings out the real horror of his monsters.
The third sketch serves as the greatest warning.  Man-made miracles?  Take a look at what that miracle is likely to look like.  However great, or however the achievement of our magnificent intellects, evil is part of the creation.  Victor Frankenstein's experiments embody these warnings.  The black shiny eyes transcend intentions, and indicate death.  Not murder...that already happened when the thing's heart started beating.  A look into the eyes of the creature, captured above, is a death which walks, and seeks all of us out.  This concludes our macabre art show, but please remember the name Berk Balkac, and visit oluklu.deviantart.com for more of this young man's work.  Those of you needing an illustrator for your graphic novel, or comic book, search this man out.

2 comments:

  1. Chris, what a neat review! I'd think Mr. Balkac to be extremely pleased with your take on his work. I especially liked the preachy parts of your piece. They are so very true at this moment. Quite possibly, they've always been so.
    Being that I'm a late baby boomer, all of the horror fab four are etched indelibly into my psyche. The Frankenstein monster for me was probably a distant number three on that loft list, but his story is as current as today's paper on my driveway.
    Your reviews are always incredible. You have a new fan...and his name is Baby Whale.

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  2. Christopher. Like the art. Love your societal commentary; if we don't heed that, we do art in vain.

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