‘Flaf’ lives on in Der Zeichner

[Book review by Tina Koyama] “It is only with a pencil that one can see clearly.”

This quotation (and perhaps life philosophy) is attributed
several times to Florian Afflerbach in Der
Zeichner. Even a quick thumb-through of the posthumously published book
would tell you that he was a man with stunningly clear vision, but this collection
deserves multiple, slow viewings to fully appreciate his drawings.

As many other urban sketchers did, I got to know Florian’s
work by following him on Flickr. Known as Flaf,
his Flickr account name (and the name for cars he designed as a child, I
learned from the book), Florian was an avid sketcher of buildings and cars. Der Zeichner (The Drawer) is a 300-page
collection of hundreds of his best works.

Crowdfunded
in 2017, the book also includes essays by family members, architectural
colleagues and friends. His passion for architecture and vehicles is obvious,
but through these tributes (published in German and English), I also learned of
his interests in design, technology, art and, above all, the act of drawing
itself. Many also spoke of his kindness, joyfulness and rich sense of humor.

The tribute section shows him in many stages
of his short life (in 2016 he was killed in a motorcycle accident at the age of
35). Photos of him as a child are accompanied by his father recalling Florian’s
keen interest in his surroundings and desire to capture them with pencil and
paint.

Among the friends who wrote about Florian were several urban
sketchers who had taught, traveled and sketched with him. Here are some of
their comments:

“For me, Florian Afflerbach’s drawings are hymns of praise to what we have
achieved as a human species. They show art, technology and culture from
different parts of the world, they build bridges across borders. . . . when I
look at the world in these strange times through his drawings, I can believe in
a better future for all of us.” – Luis Ruiz Padrón

“There are yet so many places, which we would have loved to
explore or draw together. It would have been so exciting to witness how Flo’s
style, his choice of motives and his technique might have developed. . . .We
especially miss his friendship, inspiration and great sense of humour.” – Arno
Hartmann and Alex Gorg

“In one of Florian’s first comments, I found this: ‘Well, I
have to say that my drawings are never part of any projects. It’s just for fun.
:)’ Just for fun! So it’s the joy of drawing that has brought us together, a
rigorous design drawing that always maintains its suppleness.” – Gérard Michel

Through Der Zeichner,
I am privileged to see the world as it materialized from the end of Florian’s
pencil. Savoring each drawing slowly, regretting deeply that there will be no
more, I am also grateful for the gift of this collection that he left behind.

Der Zeichner can
be purchased for EUR 49 plus shipping by contacting info@schaff-verlag.de.

A copy of Der Zeichner
was provided free to Urban Sketchers. Opinions expressed by our correspondents
and guest contributors don’t necessarily represent an official view of
UrbanSketchers.org.