Reinier Berendsen

Light. That fascinating light. The Dutch painter Reinier Berendsen, lives and works in The Netherlands – 1973, chases after it, in big cities around the world. He works like a traveling journalist. Uninhibited observant; smelling, tasting, feeling. Waiting for that one moment to register. The places he captures appear randomly. Because more important than the spot is light; as supporting character of his work. And everything else - the buildings and objects in space - is secondary. Light above the buildings. In that respect, Reinier is a real Dutch painter, in the tradition of Johannes Vermeer.

His work is not just to show a fleeting and superficial image. On the contrary. They are there to experience and even feel. The smells and sounds. The temperature. The season. The works of Reinier are characterized by order or structure. Call it tidy. Due to the absence of people. And by different perspectives. Not deliberate; Painting succeeds by the grace of intuition. Except one element: Reinier’s travel suitcase on each painting. Reinier Berendsen was here a minute. And the place he had just left, might look different next week. And that's fine.
 

Text by Jeroen Fidder, www.zegtekst.nl