We were in a painting class in the primary school and Fazıl Teacher (r.i.p) asked us to have our own way to paint that day, so, there wasn’t any specific subject. After thinking little bit, I started to paint a funny bank robbery. The robbers escaping from police were stumbling on and falling down, confused gazes of the people passing by, many buildings, a butcher, a barber, a greengrocer and the construction workers digging the asphalt with electric concrete breaker.
After 40 minutes of drawing Fazıl teacher started to wander between the desks to look upon our paintings and started to give grades. My painting got five out of five like always in the class. After grading me, Fazıl teacher gave a look to the painting of Harun which was sitting just behind me. It was like the first picture above. In fact, Harun scribbled all around the paper with a black pencil, nothing else. Fazıl teacher smiled when he saw the painting of Harun. “ My boy Harun, have you painted inside of an oven?” said by laughing. Harun answered nothing, just smiled. Then, Fazıl teacher gave Harun 5/5 grade like he gave it to me. In fact, Harun was a poor, lazy, layabout boy and he would have mostly received 2 or 3 grade from every classes of him. This one was his first five grade he ever got in his school life.
Last year, when I was just wandering in the internet, I have run into a total black painting in some website. After searching for a while, I found out that the painting was created by Ad Reinhardt which is worth one million dolar nowadays. Then, in that exact moment Harun came up to my mind after many years. Did Harun really draw inside of an oven? while he was painting in that class.
Probably not.
I have never seen Harun after primary school and herewith I couldn’t ask why he drew that painting.
If I would ask, he probably couldn’t remember.
Umea, 2012
