As a neo-impressionist, Vermeulen has worked in recent years on a wide range of large and small landscapes. He bases himself loosely on photographic material to create a poetic, semi-realistic representation in many layers of transparent acrylic on canvas or panel. In this way the subject becomes subordinate to light and colour, both of which are rendered with seemingly reckless and rough brushstrokes. His focus in recent years on painting landscapes is not a flight from reality, his work belongs in our time. It invites the viewer to look at the world in a different way, not from a nostalgic reflex but more caringly and slowly, with more consultation and reflection. How can we cherish without being conservative?
