The reason of our interview is to understand your interest and point of view on contemporary art. Since you came back from Rome yesterday, we can start from that. Did you have chance to visit a museum or exhibition in Rome? 

I couldn't this time; I had things to do. But the city is like a museum; this impresses me. Previously I went to Cinecitta studios for the shooting of Ferzan Özpetek's 'Şahane Misafir' (Amazing Guest) movie. It is for sure very impressive to be in the studios, where the Italian masters shot their movies. There, they managed to come to this day with apprentice-master relation; still the sets from 50s remain and keep on working analogue. The cinema tradition is continued since then. 

When you look at the Turkish cinema today, what kind of parallelism do you see with the last period of Italian cinema? 

Surely Italian cinema tradition and to have the generation educated by the people, who were personally involved in old Italian movies, are different. They have an organic relationship. On the other hand, we can see that the last period of Italian cinema is not much different than our in the sense of audience reaction. There is either mass and commercial movies or influential productions.

You also make blockbuster movies, which are predominantly commercial. You also have different production areas such as drawing, music as well. Do make a distinction such as 'the one that look like art and the rest' within these areas?

For example, there is something like this in cinema. The person, whom we call 'art director' is in fact the only person who has 'art' in his/her title. It is as if there is nobody else doing something to do with art... Even the director is seen as a coordinator. It is being spoken in the comics that the comics with plentiful speech bubbles, conversations are not art, but one line is 'more of an art'. Since I come from the drawing tradition, in movies I care about the setting, costume standard during the production. I think these are the thing that the movie wants and the audience desires. No matter how simple or complicated they are, I can say that all the work we have done so far is appropriate to what it serves. As for the artistic value, it is quite hard to create a sophisticated situation in a comedy. It is to do with the populace that you make it meet...

Are the thought and the demand of populace in the foreground?  

I can't reject it. Consequently that is the area you are interested in and your addressee. For instance, the most careless looking artist can meet someone, who says 'I want a picture matching my sofas' and can sell his work to that person.

Choosing a picture matching the sofa is a bit thought-provoking. On the other hand, at the end of the day everything is to do with taste and for many people, this is how being a collector starts with .

Yes, I find that surprising. Buying a work of art is personal. But there is a big "mafia" involved; this is a bit disturbing. I don't understand why they are trying to translate a work, when you are in a gallery. There are some types, who appear out of nowhere when you are looking at a work; you get startled; you ask yourself why he/she is translating it now - the "if you don't get it, I will help you" types. However, I want to make a different connection with the artist. I don't want someone to whisper it in my ear. Do I say "I wrote my caricature with this intention; read it with this intention"? These are really "fun" worlds!

So how do you choose and buy a work?

I know you visit expositions, but I think you can't tour around due to intense interest in you. I go specially to a specific place, to look at an artist. I make spot-on shot by making the visit faster.

Doesn't the market feeling in art put you off? 

I don't know any other kind; but these activities and openings can turn into events, in which the artist stands on the side, becomes invisible and the rest drinks wine. This is obliged.

You are not in the foreground with your collector side. For instance we don't see you in foreign expositions, biennials or any other important exhibition openings.  There are no news like "Cem Yılmaz was there". Where do often get your art work? 

I am not the collector, who is following the market of it. I have bumped into websites like artnet, artspace over on the internet a couple of years ago. I became a member of them. I found out that there is a world for the amateurs was well. I have started this only due to the curiosity on how I can follow the artists I like and interested. I wanted to buy them, if they can be reached. Then I realized that you can reach every gallery, art representative, artist in the world. For example Julien Opie; I e-mailed him. The I had a reply; he had a gallery over here. I bought both from him and from his gallery.

What other things did you buy before Julien Opie?

The first one I bought was İsmet Doğan. I bought Shepard Fairey’s ‘Rock the Kasbah. I bought it for a price higher than Raicin, because there were many people who wanted to buy it. People like Fairey, Banksy are really interesting. Their work can be sold to 1000 dollars; they can make a single copy work. Banksy for example; now they dismantle the walls. I like Invader.

Invader came to Istanbul. He left a lot of traces on the buildings. Also there was a graffiti artist from Holland; he used to make yellow fists around Galata area.

Yes, I heard it from Faruk Eczacıbaşı; he had one on the wall right opposite his home. I watched a documentary the other day about a graffiti artist in Los Angeles. Graffiti artists go into jail. Police beats the artist and the artist says 'this is my canvas; I will paint'. 

Things like that happen in Turkey. The artists remain in the background. On the other hand, there is also a gradually growing art environment. We can say that it is a little bit in its own world; a little bit uncontrolled and unaware of artists and a bit wild. How much is it possible for an artist to control anyway?

As a caricaturist I surely find these funny. There was scene in the film Basquiat; you should remember. Some says, "We want this in green". This happens; because you don't have the control after the work is done. We need to rage at this point. Another scene from the same movie: they stab him in front of one of the walls that he signed as "Seymour". He says "This is me" and they don't believe in him. The artist usually have an embarrassed expression or there are people who performs bigger behaviours in order to hurt him.

Do you have tendency towards an artistic attitude that is generally against the system?

I was inspired by the film on the life of Basquiat. I wanted to buy something original; but their prices were so high -I bought a couple of lithographies in 2001. Mainly graphic and humorous works attract my attention. I like Fikret Mualla for example. In fact, the story of the artist, his life, his character also effect my selection. Besides art works, I try to collect caricature. I buy Cemal Nadir's caricatures when I find them.

Who else do you like? 

I like Erinç Seymen, Yaşam Şaşmazer, Murat Pulat, Taner Ceylan; but their prices went so high up in Sotheby’s. When I get interested in an artist, I start to come across with the similar ones.

Have you ever participated in Sotheby's auctions?

I followed it over from the internet; once I tendered over on the phone. I wanted to get one of Taner Ceylan's work; but couldn't.

You have drawn caricature for years. Although your taste look different from each other, figure is in the foreground. Do still keep on drawing? 

Not too much; but it helps to show as a reference for the characters I create before the shooting of movies. I love caricature far too much. It is a short cut for the matter. Therefore it is a fine craft.  Figure is something; but there is no need for figure all the time. That exists or not. It is not something you get later on the stage; you can only improve your skill later on. But, I drifted away from caricature during creating a unique style stage.

Some of your friends from your period kept on and they exhibit in galleries. 

Yes, Cem Dinlenmiş and Bahadır Baruter held exhibitions in x-ist. They are really great artists anyway. I think they should have done it before. For instance, comic books and comics culture in France have always been supported. On the other hand, people avoid this not to have critic on diverging the work into another type of business.

They think they need to remain marginal. There is this side of creativity in Turkey as well. Earning money through art is considered to be disgraceful.

Yes, but if you are doing something, you need to reach more people. These works are important - I believe they need to be everywhere. I am not talking about billboards and advertisement boards of course; yet they deserve to be seen and known.

Although he gallery system is not easy for an artist, it has got positive sides with regards to provide the artist  focus on his/her work. How do you find this system as a collector?

I don't like to have someone guiding me around, when I am buying something. I don't want someone to come and say "don't buy this, it is not going to get valued" to my ear. There is no work that I bought, but didn't hang on the wall and is not on my sight. Since there is no need to associate with every feeling of the artist, there is also no need this much of explanation either.

Educating the consumer negatively effects me. I makes me run away; because it gets in between the artist and me. It is not like that abroad. They only give you an answer if you ask them; because people assume you know. If you ask them if they have new works of Invader, they say "yes, this one". They don't tell you that he reflected the pain he lived in France onto these tiles. I research for what I am interested. Therefore, the funniest thins is this: if somebody is coming the minute you look, you should immediately ask  "how much". The whole thing comes down to that in the end. So what are you rambling about?

Some of them might need to be directed in this respect.

The things I went through shows me that the gallerist need to be more confident. This is a caricatured situation. Sincerity is needed. Is this the most you wish to whisper to the ear? "Buy this one; it is going to get really valuable". This is very sincere and not about art. But, I receive to have catalogue in happiness for instance. Also, everybody can reach whatever is happening in the world so easily for 10 odd years. To have information is personal.

As far as I understand there is an artist populace that you follow abroad; yet you don't prefer to go to a galleries or expositions. Also things as such can be lived in the expositions abroad: galleries from Turkey attend the exposition; the sales can only be made to the collectors, who attended that exposition. Do you go to the expositions?

I am interested; but I haven't had free time for such an event. Yes, I want to go in the upcoming months.