N.Dip Graphic Design 1993
Being a freelance Graphic Designer since 1993 has been an important foundation for my work. I combine my experience of design as communication support with the opportunity the materials offer me to create something authentic that moves me. My work is a constant lifelong process of exploration, discovery and continuous evolution.
I often use my photography as a research aid, layering them along with other materials in the final artworks. I make use of collage, oils and charcoal as my favoured media.
Although my work always begins with a specific concept it may change throughout the creative process. In some cases the inspiration probably remains visible in the finished piece. Work might start out as a landscape and end up being a portrait.
I am intrigued by the anatomy of faces, bodies and man-made grids, patterns, structures and designs, but also by shapes and textures found in nature. The same combinations occur in satellite images of the world – the organic shapes of land and sea, and the overlays of man-made patterns in cities and landscapes. Movement of people across the planet changes the face of our world and it influences these shapes and cultures.
I create images that work at a distance but become even more rewarding at close range. There will always be new things to notice and discover, even after long inspection, reflecting the many influences that have gone into each work. One or two aspects of each work may be mentioned in its title, but I leave the title sufficiently vague that it does not prescribe a particular interpretation. I give people the opportunity to enjoy and interpret my work largely for themselves.
The artist
Floris van Zyl
Selected Exhibitions:
2011
Migration at artSPACE in Durban
About Face: 12 artists - 84 Portraits at the Tatham Gallery, Pietermaritzburg
Which new trends or South African artists do you find inspiring at the moment?
Conrad Botes, Terri Broll, Andries Gouws to name a few.
Which South African deceased artist do you most admire and why?
Irma Stern, she truly did her own thing her own way.
Which exhibition that you have visited made the greatest impact on you and why?
Stephen Conroy, it made we want to paint.
Where do you get your inspiration for your work?
Travel and everyday people, my environment.
Do you have any rituals or habits involving your art-making that you can tell us about?
I start by pasting my own reference photos and materials onto the canvas to have them speak for the work to follow, sometimes the fall away behind layers of paint and sometimes can be seen as part of the final.
What do you like most about being an artist?
The freedom and agony and finding the solution, I love to create.
How do you handle bad days when you experience artist's block?
Go for a long bike ride in nature, and if that doesn’t loosen me up, I just paint without expectation as this always leads to some unblocking - stop being “precious” about the work and the outcome.
What is your greatest achievement as an artist to date?
Letting go of the outcome and just doing it for the art’s sake and to enjoy that.
Do you feel that you want to make a difference to the world or in people's lives? If yes, how?
Definitely! Art creates awareness, and that is the beginning of change…
What are your plans for the coming year?
To be productive and constantly grow in the process as this is the journey.