Floris Postmes is a fully self-taught, multi-disciplined artist with a desire to explore the vastness of the human mind and heart. Through all ways of expressing Floris found a constant, and maybe his only sense of ease, when working with fire and steel. Endlessly bouncing his hammer while having his mind jump from question to question in almost polyrhythmic ways, he manages to create mirrors of the self within his blades.
By years of intense self study he mastered the craft of pattern welded steel, now being able to translate ideas and visions into complex oriented lines within his steel. Separating himself from many other smiths by seeing his craft as a tool rather than the aim. Expressing as free as a painter on canvas but with metal and heat, Floris dives into the infinite world of his craft. Spending many hours on layering his steel, knowing what happens inside but without being able to visually see until the very last moment. Throughout the process only he truly knows and sees what is going on, eventually leaving the observer with a pure sensation of the magical unknown.
Over the years Floris shaped two strong narratives. His more Japanese inspired work, coming from an era where he did an elaborate investigation on the balance between chaos and order. These pieces come straight from the fire, with mostly untouched profile lines and surfaces. The patterns on these are steered in a direction but also left to coincidence and the organic way of working, yet again depicting the whole essence of these pieces; the dialogue between artist and material.
Now with the rediscovery of the dialogue, the vastness of the craft could be explored with more depth. Acceptance over the control he gained over his material instead of resistance for also that human nature, Floris shaped his second strong narrative…
The more styled pieces only have a subtle reference to the fire, the spine line. The patterns in these pieces are all about control, very consciously placed lines within these patterns show his mastery over his craft. A technique Floris has been refining for years in silence and only recently came to the confidence to show it to the world after a strong epiphany.
