Sprakeloos by Jordyn Van Gaalen

Travel-inspired art featuring the Western U.S. and The Netherlands.

At the Granby Public Library, they are featuring an art exhibit by Jordy Mack Art for 2021. Photographer and watercolorist, Jordyn Van Gaalen, created Sprakeloos — which means, “not capable of being expressed in words”.

Granby is located just outside of Rocky Mountain National Park. I loved the appreciation that this artist has for the U.S. West, and how she juxtaposed them with her travels abroad.

Artist Statement

“Sprakeloos” reflects impactful travels I’ve taken both in the United States and The Netherlands. My watercolor paintings represent the places of the Western U.S., especially areas around National Parks. My architecture photography prints are from locations in The Netherlands, my husband’s home country. The Western U.S. and The Netherlands are spaces that leave me captivated, or left “sprakeloos”. They are locations of stark contrast in which I find myself speechless.

There is an overt distinction between the organic openness of the West and the geometric structure of The Netherlands. One setting often appeals to those from the other, when looking with fresh eyes at the other’s uniqueness. I’ve heard peers and friends pining for the history and architecture of Europe. My husband’s family recounted their initial shock from viewing the open and endless beauty of the Western U.S. Both have their own unique enchantment to offer.