Sep
Artist Fights for Freedom
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Michael Dickinson, a British artist living and working in Turkey for the last fifteen years, faces a jail term of up to three years for his artistic expression depicting the face of Turkish Prime Minister, Tayyip Erdogan, on a dog's body. He had originally gone to court in September 2006, in support of another artist Erkan Kara, who had been charged for exhibiting a similar piece of artwork entitled "Best in the Show" depicting President Bush awarding a prise to Mr Erdogan at a dog show. The artist was sarcastically inferring that Turkey's Prime Minister was America's pet but Mr. Kara was released due to lack of evidence. Dickinson proceeded to display his artwork entitled "Good Boy" outside the court where he was arrested and detained for 10 days. The work of art was seized by the police and Dickinson has been charged under article 125 of the Turkish Penal Code for "insulting the prime minister".
In October 2007 he arrived at court, and the case was adjourned so that the opinion of professors could be ascertained as to the worth of the collages. He again appeared in court in Istanbul on 24 March 2008, when two professors of art from Marmara university invited by the judge to give their evaluation as to whether it was art or insult failed to appear. The trial has been adjourned to the 25 September 2008.
Mr. Dickinson explains
"In my defense I said that the collages were not meant as a personal attack on the Prime Minister, but his position, and the fact that President Bush considers him a useful friend and ally. Turkish soil is home to American nuclear bombs at the US airbase at Diyarbakir.".
I said that I was an artist(?) and did not usually plan my collages, but acted on inspiration at the time of making, often as a reaction to news of what is happening in the world, particularly Iraq.
When the judge asked me to describe what I was trying to say in my 2 collage pictures of Erdogan in the role of America's dog, I said that it was up to the viewer to make his own interpretation; a visual artist shouldn't need to explain in words. Pictures are for eyes.
I said that over the years I'd made countless collage pictures of President GW Bush and Tony Blair in much more unflattering roles without persecution. In the Western/European world, artists are allowed to express their feelings in their works."
Turkey is under big pressure from the European Union over the issue of freedom of speech
Michael Dickinson writes an article Art or Insult? on Counterpunch
A Petition has been created to support Mr. Dickinson .
The petition states: "We, the undersigned, support an artist's right of free expression.We stand firmly with Amnesty International in their calls on the Turkish authorities to terminate without delay all prosecutions against individuals under the notorious Article 301, and to abolish all other articles in the Turkish Penal Code that stifle and punish freedom of speech and expression. We call for the prosecution of Michael Dickinson over his political collages to be dropped."
The petition of support is intended to be used as part of Mr. Dickinson's defense to demonstrate to the court the value and import we place on artistic inquiry and an artist's right to self expression. Additionally, this petition supports the abolition of Articles 301 and 125 and all other articles of the Turkish Penal Code that stifle and punish freedom of speech and expression.
The petition can be found here
http://www.mungbeing.com/petition.html
