A major installation of multimedia artwork by Jacob Van Wyk of Ireton, Iowa, is being exhibited through Dec. 7 in Northwestern’s College’s Te Paske Gallery.
“Apocalyptic Vision” features large-scale and free-standing figurative clay sculptures, oil paintings, stone lithography prints, intaglio etchings, and oil pastel and graphite drawings.
“I’m intrigued by the mystery of angelic beings and visionary biblical accounts of the end times,” says Van Wyk. “My art explores metaphors for God’s mysterious presence and revelation to his people, as well as the transcendental nature of symbolic imagery and awesome spiritual power.”
One piece, a recent work by Van Wyk entitled “Submission,” is a 5-foot-tall, 500-pound figurative clay sculpture that won Best of Show in the Orange City Arts Council’s 2017 Regional Exhibition. Another large work, “The Coming,” is a 2,500-pound, 8-by-12-foot dimensional clay installation featuring the Four Horses of the Apocalypse, demons, and an angel of the Lord. The oil paintings, prints and drawings represent the past 35 years of the artist’s personal collection.
Van Wyk is a Dordt College professor emeritus of art who lives on a farm near Ireton, where he maintains a working studio. He is a master potter and printmaker, excelling in stone lithography and clay sculpture. A significant portfolio of his art is functional ceramic ware and clay commissions, as well as landscapes in many different mediums.
Van Wyk’s work has been featured in regional art exhibits, national competitions and 28 one-person shows. He recently assembled the work featured in “Apocalyptic Vision,” and the Northwestern exhibit marks the first time they have been displayed together.
Northwestern’s Te Paske Gallery is located in the Thea G. Korver Visual Arts Center, on Highway 10 at 214 8th Street SW in Orange City. Gallery hours are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 to 7 p.m. Sunday.
