Jordy van den Nieuwendijk - Tasmania, Australia (Second Edition)

Silkscreen print, edition of 50, signed and numbered by the artist, unframed

Destination: Tasmania, Australia

Jaunt #071 (second edition)

Date: 120-30 March, 2021

approx. 27.5"h x 19.75"w, 70cm x 50cm

"Traveling is something that brings me perspective. Worldwide lockdowns and accompanying travel restrictions because of COVID-19 make it that most people will probably spend their holidays in their own countries. I’m lucky to be in Australia, after having moved here in October 2021. Although the world’s smallest continental mass, it’s the world’s biggest island and there is a lot to discover. I have been curious about Tasmania for a while and I am excited to pay a visit.

The size of Australia, even Tasmania, continues to astound me. I thought it would be the size of Texel, a small island in North Holland. I was looking forward to cycle around the island. However, it turns out that Tasmania is 65% larger than The Netherlands, the country I grew up in. As I tried to see a lot of the island and therefore rented a car, I discovered that a one-hour drive can bring a complete change of scenery, coastline, architecture, and weather conditions.

I had never been in a small propeller airplane. The experience of being inside one, while seeing the coastline of Tasmania, left an impression on me. I tried to capture the experience of the plane taking off. It was good to have that full sense of freedom again. I also did a drawing of the Low Head lighthouse where I spent some time on the last day, I cleared my mind there, did some sketches, and did a bit of a recap on the trip. The drawings of the lighthouse stayed with me in my mind and became a bit of a symbol for the trip for me."

-Jordy van den Nieuwendijk