Floris Wubben Breaks the Mould
With his ‘Pressed’ objects, innovative Dutch ceramicist Floris Wubben continues to push the limits of his materials by using a self-developed extrusion machine to explore their characteristics and their behaviour when being moulded.
“Pulled” and “pushed” are not adjectives one would normally use to describe ceramics, but in the hands of innovative Dutch designer and craftsperson Floris Wubben, such associations seem plausible. With his latest Pressed collection, developed with U.S. gallery The Future Perfect and Netherlands-based Sundaymorning@ekwc (formerly known as European Ceramic Work Centre), the dexterous talent has been able to explore and ultimately demonstrate a new technique that challenges the boundaries and dimensions of ceramics.
Available in a range of furnishings and home accessory applications, the cumulative collection stems from a holistic concept that seeks to connect the maker with his or her tool. Wubben custom-built a device that allows him to pressure-extrude large slabs of wet clay into various assembled open and closed structured forms. Resulting in different reliefs and rigged patterns, the bespoke works emphasize the role of human action; striking a subtle balance between precision and imperfection. The calibration of the action, the amount of force and orientation of movement one applies to the ad hoc instrument, determines the appearance of each outcome. The collective oeuvre represents a synthesis of the hand-and machine-made.
Working at the intersection of sculpture and object development, Amsterdam-based Wubben has dedicated the past few years to the exploration of how machinery and constrained process can determine the look and feel of his designs. This carefully considered, MacGyver-eque approach has produced fruitful innovations that don’t necessarily derive from the latest technological advancements. Rather, Wubben’s cultivated methodology champions a more transcendent focus; one that also looks to play with nature and natural elements. Though his limited works are visually striking and visually appealing, they also evoke hidden conceptual intent. The somewhat neoteric Pressed collection is no different.
This article was originally published in TLmag’s 2019 Autumn-Winter print edition “Contemporary Applied”
Cover Photo: Pressed Stool / Table 6
Articles you also might like
CCONTINUA + MAMT is a creative collaboration between Chiara Caselli and Francesco Carrasso. In the last four years, they have developed a singular collection of objects and accessories, and a partnership that is built on intuition and freedom to experiment. They recently showed their work in two exhibitions during Milan Design Week and at KunstRAI in Amsterdam with HAMA Gallery.
TLmag spoke with Annemoon Geurts, Founder and Creative Director of Kazerne, during Dutch Design Week 2024, about the future of her multifaceted business and how nature-inclusive design is the way forward.
TLmag spoke to Katinka Versendaal about her new project, The Fish Knows Everything, which was presented in a unique space in the former Campina milk factory during Dutch Design Week 2024.
Olivier van Herpt has developed a new 3D printer that allows the artist to create large-scale porcelain works that push past previous possibilities of this ancient medium.