THE BIG PRETTY - Birger Sandzén Memorial Gallery, Lindsborg, KS

Sunday, May 3, 2026 11:00 AM 11:00
Sunday, July 19, 2026 12:00 PM 12:00

Birger Sandzen Memorial Gallery 401 North First Street Lindsborg KS (map)

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Garden of the Gods, (After Birger Sandzen) 40x48” Acrylic on Panel. 2026

My paintings are a captivating fusion of art, geology, and environmental storytelling, deeply rooted in the rugged and dynamic landscapes of the Rocky Mountain West, the Southwest’s high desert plateaus and the Pacific Coastal Ranges.

I layer the paintings to resemble the geological strata and embed minerals such as mica, obsidian, marble, and sandstone to bridge the tangible and the abstract nature of both the physical landscape and the artistic interpretation of it. Using a mirror effect to show the hidden subsurface geology with the visible world above, creating a dialogue between what’s beneath and what’s experienced.

I focus on the ecosystem as a whole, from snow-capped peaks flowing into rivers and wetlands, tied together by seasonal and climatic events to paint a holistic picture. It’s as if each scene becomes a microcosm of time and place. I decide which specific landscapes or moments to capture as a spontaneous connection made during my travels. My travels involve seeking out particular geological or ecological features that speak to me and allowing space and time to fully absorb the chance visual experiences of double rainbows over Flaming Gorge, Solar eclipses in the path of Totality, a prismatic dust cloud rainbow sunset at Death Valley National Park—it’s as if these spontaneous moments crystallize the region’s mystique and continue to set the course for my creative exploration. I aim to channel the awe of the present moment with the vastness of geological time in each painting.

Birger Sandzén, *A Mountain Symphony (Longs Peak, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado)*, 1927. Oil paint on canvas; 48 x 60 in. Denver Art Museum.

I first encountered a Birger Sandzén painting at the Denver Art Museum’s western art collection. It is titled, A Mountain Symphony (Longs Peak, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado) What struck me about the work was the scale of the composition, its bold palette and the muscular texture of the expressive brush strokes. I saw in his painted language depicting the landscapes of the West, the connection to European impressionist and Fauve painting styles. It didn't surprise me that he was dubbed the “Van Gogh of the West”.

Three years ago, I happened upon the Birger Sandzén Memorial Gallery during a fateful snowstorm on the Great Plains that detoured my route through Lindsborg, Kansas. I was excited to happen upon his namesake museum and take a look inside. A painting on display, titled “Moonrise Over the Colorado River” inspired me to create a version of this scene in my own style. I instantly felt a kinship to his work’s extraordinary vision and his immigration journey from Sweden to the American West which I could relate to my own from UK to Colorado’s Front Range.

Birger Sandzén visited Colorado regularly from Lindsborg, Kansas and dubbed the Rocky Mountain landscapes as “The Big Pretty”. His interest in geology, light and shadow contrast, vivid color and texture echos my own. I decided to title my show that exact phrase and have focused many of the paintings on Colorado’s Front Range locations that he enjoyed visiting and painting. Iconic stops such as Longs Peak, the Colorado River and Garden of the Gods will pay homage to the legacy and works of Birger Sandzén through my contemporary approach.