Floris Brasser
Floris Brasser
The sculptor Floris Brasser prefers to work in wood. Anyone who ever visited him in his studio will not be surprised. The workshop is located in a forest among tall trees and undergrowth. The surrounding nature may evoke the image of a romantic world, but the reality is quite Spartan. There are tree trunks in the most diverse sizes and types of wood on the site. Walnut, Douglas fir and robinia, elm and cherry, oak and lime. They vary from slender silhouettes to colossal trunks that can no longer be embraced. It is an open-air pantry and at the same time a waiting room for images to come. There is not always a clearly defined plan or idea, but rather a sum of possibilities of what is desired and what is or is not possible.
Not all of Floris Brasser's statues are anthropomorphic, nor are they all made from one trunk. They are figurative, organically abstract or constructivist, they are predominantly monolithic but sometimes also composite. They are autonomous works, but they cannot do without the interplay between space, object and people. What they have in common is that they determine an interaction. Wood, more than any other material, requires a physical relationship, to be felt and grasped. We look at wooden statues with our hands.
It is not so easy to indicate Brasser's position in contemporary sculpture. His artistry is based on various qualities. On the one hand there is craft, in the classic sense. Craftsmanship with technology and knowledge of materials as clear components. On the other hand, there is the autonomous, inventive part of the artist par excellence who shows a completely original vision resulting in an unmistakably individual and recognizable oeuvre. With his wooden statues he joins an impressive line of sculptors who, partly through this material, have managed to acquire a position in the history of sculpture.
The great heyday of wood sculpture for the Low Countries was undoubtedly the era of the Middle Ages, with mainly religious art. Brasser's images have little or nothing to do with the art of that period. He moves into another world. A border area between the physical aspects of his profession and the inspiration of his works. A world between tree and image.
(text: Joop Nijstad)
Publications
Collection
Two half cherries
2008, kersenhout 180 cm
Arm, schouder, borst
1982, grenenhout 51 cm
Silenced
2008, robinia 200 cm
After
2017, walnoot 353 cm
Dubbel dick
2018, perenhout 315 cm
CV
Floris Brasser, 1957
Education
1981-1985 Akademie voor Beeldende Kunsten Amsterdam (cum laude)
1977-1978 Akademie voor Beeldende Kunsten Arnhem.
Exhibitions and commissions
2020 Schets ontwerp kunst toepassing; Steengroeve Theater, Winterswijk
2020 Realisatie Bilders route, kasteel Vorden/Hackfort
2019 Marspoort gallerie, groepsexpositie
2019 Plaatsing; Raise the Children, Hackfort
2019 Gorcums Museum; Dromen over Bomen
2019 Plaatsing; Kleine Folly, Beekpark Vorden
2019 Het Depot Wageningen, 2 beelden in permanente Buiten collectie
2018 Het Depot Wageningen, Bomen zijn als mensen
2018 Marspoort Gallerie, duo met Bert Strijbos.
2017 Het Bolwerck, solo.
2017 IJselstroom zutphen
2015 Gallerie Land Beeld Asperen
2015 Douglas Folly landgoed Schovenhorst Putten
2014 Gallerie LandBeeld Asperen NL
2014 Monumentaal objekt Stad Praag CZ.
2013 Ingebed in beelden Oude Kerk Amsterdam
2013 Opdracht skulptuur, Eugene Or. USA
2013 Land en Beeld Asperen
2013 Oude kerk Amsterdam ABK
2012 Vorden Centrum, lustrum
2012 Kunsttoepassing bushalte, Achmea campus, ism. ADP Architecten
2011 Oude raadhuisplein Praag CZ.
2011 Pulchri Lange Voorhout DenHaag
2011 Kunsttoepassing Bospaviljoens Achmea Apeldoorn NL.
2010 Tolhuistuin Amsterdam
2010 Skulpturenwochen Dissen D
2010 Bergense kunsttiendaagse Bergen
2009 BadRagartz triennale Bad Ragaz CH.
2009 Tolhuis tuin Amsterdam
2009 Pulchri Den Haag
2009 Bergense kunst 10dgse Bergen NL.
2009 Keukenhof Lisse NL.
2008 Oude Raadhuis; Heemstede
2008 Tuin der Lusten Tubbergen
2008 Tolhuis tuin Amsterdam
2008 Bergen kunst 10dgse Bergen NL.
2007 Baseliek Hengelo
2007 Sypenstein nw Loosdrecht
2007 Landgoed Hackfort gem.Bronckhorst
2007 Oude kerk, Amsterdam
2006 Landgoed Vilsteren
2006 Ooirschot grotekerksplein
2006 Studio 135/39 Heemstede
2006 Kuntur gallery Amsterdam
2005 Installatie “Zetelbogen", Vuren-west ABK, kerk Monnickendam
2005 Hortus botanicus Leiden
2004 SBK duetten Amsterdam
2004 Jansen&kooy, Warnsveld
2004 Triade, Den Helder
2004 Melkweg Amsterdam
2004 Productie “zetelbogen” Vuren-West
2003 Verbeeldingsindustrie, Almelo
2003 Tuinen van Appeltern
2003 Houtpassie 2003, Borculo
2003 Tempus Arti, Landen BE
2003 Holzsymposium Vaduz Liechtenstein (jury prize)
2002 Opdracht kunsttoepassing, Vuren-West
2002 Kasteel Sypestein jubileumtentoostelling, Nieuw-Loosdrecht
2002 Jansen&Kooy Warnsveld
2002 Paasloerhof Paasloo
2001 Kasteel Sypestein nw. Loosdrecht
2001 Kunst Ahoy, Rotterdam.
2001 Sculptuur Symposium Praha 5 CZ.
2001 Tremo, setinstallatie, Montevideo, Amsterdam
2001 MMM, Minimaal Mobiel Museum, Bos en Lommerplein, Amsterdam
2001 Villa Arena, Amsterdam
2000 Arti salon, Amsterdam
2000 Beeldentuin Bellinggarde Bellingwolde
2000 Kleinschalige tijdelijke opdracht, Amsterdamse Bos
2000 Hortus Botanicus Amsterdam, ABK.
2000 Monumentaal object, K&R Apeldoorn
1999 Sculptuuropdracht “Lao Tse’s Lover”, Simply B.
1999 Het Stroomhuis , Neerrijnen
1999 Beeldentuin Gemeentehuis Borne
1999 Beeldentuin Gemeentehuis Loenen
1998 Monumentale sculptuur, Hipolytushoef
1998 Arti, Amsterdam
1998 Artihove, Bergschenhoek
1998 Hortus Botanicus Amsterdam
1998 Sonsbeek, witte villa, Arnhem
1998 Stadspark, Berlin Mitte, D
1997 Kleinschalige opdracht monumentaal sculptuur, Amsterdamse bos
1997 Het Heelal, Vorden
1997 Twee beelden, Oosterland
1997 Kloostertuin Zwolle
1997 Houtsymposium, Schonfeld D
1997 Sculptuur I. Braun Kassel D
1997 Kloosterruine Berlin D
1996 Oplevering kunstapplicatie P.I. Dordrecht.
1996 Tentoonstelling “midden in het leven staan we in de dood”, Arti Amsterdam.
1996 IJsel festival, Wijhe a/d IJsel
1996 Hans Lodeisen projekt, Zwolle
1996 Kloostertuin, Zwolle
1996 “Door de vingers gezien”, Broere kerk, Zwolle
1996 Instituut Bronlake, Oploo
1996 Lichtsculptuur, restaurant Het Pomphuis, Ede
1995 Décorontwerp voor de produktie "Ezel" van Wouter Steenbergen, Amsterdam.
1995 Opdracht voor sculptuur in tuin van particulier te Muiden.
1995 Opdracht i.s.m. Diana Blok voor kunstapplicatie in Penentiaire Inrichting, Dordrecht.
1986-1988 New York, meerdere tentoonstellingen en als laatste met “Commuting Senses” in Socrates Sculpture Park.
Work in municipal collections:
Gem. Wieringen, Den Oever, NL
Gem. Borne, Borne, NL
Gem. Lingewaal, Vuren-West, NL
Gem. Berlin, Berlin-Mitte, D
Gem. Vaduz, Vaduz, LI
Gem. Praag, Praha 5, CZ
Gem. Dissen, Dissen, D
Gem. Bad Ragaz, Bad Ragaz, CH
Private collections : Nl / D / B / CH / F / I / USA