Johannes van Vugt

Johannes van Vugt - Close to the edge 06 Sep - 01 Nov 2014

Like a dedicated journalist taking clippings from reality, Johannes van Vugt paints snapshots--autobiographical, art-historical, or of current events. His subject matter in "On the Edge" focuses mainly on children contemplating the beginnings of adulthood. They display the whole gamut of emotions from euphoric and carefree to melancholic and solitary. His paintings are scenes from daily life, based on his own memories, and their cinematic quality is enhanced by their presentation, as if leafing through a photo album. Apart from the subject matter, direct contact with the paint and canvas together with the drive to experiment are essential to Van Vugt. His palette remains subdued--dark tones or occasional black and white works -- and his eye for capturing light reinforces the filmic effect. His innocent and sometimes provocative images, as personal and private as they often are, leave an indelible impression in their appeal to our collective memory. Johannes van Vugt continues to build on his already impressive oeuvre, attested to by the great variety of collectors of his work in the Netherlands and abroad.