Hollywood gets miniature treatment with Murat Palta’s works

ISTANBUL - Anadolu Agency

Guess which movie this miniature represents. Clue: The lady in yellow...

Orhan Pamuk’s “My Name is Red” introduced miniature art and its place in the Ottoman court to a Western audience. Two decades after the publication of Pamuk’s novel in English, Murat Palta, a 24-year old Turkish artist, has generated a new wave of interest in this Ottoman art form by miniaturizing famous movies such as “Star Wars,” “Kill Bill” and “The Godfather.”

Miniature art is ubiquitous in Turkey. Turks encounter humans, animals, buildings and landscape miniatures in everyday life, depicted in everything from postcards to mosque decorations. Palta’s miniaturization of American movies introduces a twist in this classical art form.

“I imagined how ‘Star Wars’ would look like if an Ottoman artist depicted it in a book,” Palta said, adding that he had miniaturized seven Hollywood blockbusters: “The Godfather,” “The Shining,” “Star Wars,” “Scarface,” “Inception” (Right), “Pulp Fiction” and “Terminator 2” (bottom).

movie to miniaturize. It must be from Western culture, be compatible with the miniature art world and be famous,” Palta said.      

Palta drew miniatures for his undergraduate thesis and completed them in two months. His collection has become popular and he received global attention in 2012 when the collection was made available online. “Initially, I thought movie-goers would love these drawings. But, the miniatures attracted interest beyond my imagination,” Palta said.

He exhibited his collection in Algeria and the collection was received with great interest.      

Palta hopes that his miniatures will change the perception of Ottoman art in contemporary Turkey. The artist said most people see miniatures merely as a hobby, but he stressed that the Ottoman miniaturists were first-rate professionals rather than amateurs.