Written by Merijn Jonkers for svjmedia Picture: Bob Awick
In the Lange Jansstraat at number three, the paintings by Floor in ‘t Veld are exhibited. The exhibition ‘Lightwork’ can be visited every day from May 18th to June 8th. Floor herself is present to passionately tell the guests about her paintings. “I would describe my work as abstract, colorful, joyful, and dynamic.”
At the age of eighteen, Floor attended the school of visual arts and design in Amsterdam. For a few years now, Floor has been a full-time artist and able to make a living from it. “There are few artists who are fortunate enough to make a living from their work. It’s going unexpectedly well,” says Floor.
The exhibition is in a relatively small space, displaying thirteen paintings, six large ones and seven smaller ones with a noticeable detail: there are remote controls next to the paintings. Floor offers me something to drink and sits down at a table to talk about her passion for art.
Floor had a large studio in Maarssen, in an old wood factory. “That’s where I held my first exhibitions. Since then, about 12 years ago, I’ve been selling my work.” After the COVID-19 period, Floor regularly holds exhibitions, both as “open house” in her studio in Huizen and “pop-up-like” exhibitions in different locations, like here in Utrecht. “I’ll be here for three weeks every day, and then I’ll be gone.”
“The ‘Lightwork’ I’m doing now is very new; I’ve only been doing it for a few years. Last year, during Easter, I had my first major exhibition with my ‘Lightwork.’ These are paintings where you can turn on the LED panel behind the painting with a remote control. By turning on the light, other layers of paint emerge. You can change the painting with the push of a button. “I value certain things; I’m actually looking for the surprise that lies within the work. I want you to think it’s a regular painting. It’s painted on a thin canvas with paint, and the frame should be thin as well, so it really looks like a regular painting.”
Floor’s ‘Lightwork’ came about accidentally. “I constantly painted over my own work; I’ve been doing that for years.” One evening, which is not usual for her, Floor was working with music on and her painting in her hand, passing by a construction light. Suddenly, she saw the layers she had painted before. “It was really a surprise for myself, it was really cool! That night, I took all my work and held it in front of that light.” Some of the paintings were translucent, while others were not. This depends on the number of paint layers and the thickness of the canvas. “I started analyzing the paintings and reproducing them. I’m searching for the surprise, the transformation through light.”
Floor is curious about people’s opinions of her work. “Quite a few people have seen it, but many more haven’t. That’s why I thought it would be a fun experiment to sit here in the center of Utrecht and see what passersby think of it.” “In the evening, mostly people come in to look at the exhibition. At night, it’s very noticeable that there’s light on and the door is open.” The exhibition can be viewed for free, and the paintings are for sale.
“I don’t sign my paintings for several reasons. Firstly, I don’t think it looks good to sign an abstract painting. Secondly, I provide four hanging options on each painting, so you can hang it in four different ways. There’s no top or bottom. If I were to put my name on the bottom, the painting would immediately have a bottom. It looks a bit strange