The pictorial world of Florian Thomas is sourced mostly from a collection of his own and other, old and new, found or already printed photos and postcards by amateurs and professionals. Thomas relishes drawing upon this pool, discarding some items, adding others, changing proportions, creating new moods. The choice of picture format is in itself an important design aspect. His painting technique is at first glance realistic and representational, but occasionally he slips in abstract color elements, such as a streaky gray creeping across a pristine blue sky, as if it had been poured there, giving the palmtree-lined picture postcard landscape a menacing aspect. The relationships between the portrayed people also remain inconclusive. Are they in contact with each other, or has the spontaneous camera snapshot forced them together? This question remains unanswered.

“The pictures that I am really happy with after painting them are those that harbor a sense of mystery.”