De Vree began experimenting with language in 1953 when he embarked on a radical path with young poets in De Tafelronde.

The audiovisual poems were created out of the interaction between the two basic elements of language: sound and writing. These poems are reminiscent of the rhythmic typographies of Van Ostaijen. The layout, and to a lesser extent the typography, transpose the musical into the visual. De Vree’s audiovisual poetry differs from that of Van Ostaijen in its use of electronic means to reinforce the poem’s eloquence, technically supported by a reciter, a composer or sound engineer.

In his audiovisual poetry De Vree aims to use typography to leave a visual impression and to play on the musicality of the word when it is recited.