Friday, August 31, 2012

Nice write-up in Northern California's "J"

[Excerpted from j., the Jewish news weekly of Northern California]

What could Moses, Abraham and Sarah possibly have in common with Superman, Wonder Woman and Wolverine?

In Isaac Brynjegard-Bialik’s art, at least, they all inhabit the same complex, colorful world — one in which caped crusaders and Jewish text engage with ease.

“So many of these characters and tropes were created by Jews. I look at these stories and I see metaphors for our existence, and metaphors for the Jewish experience,” he says. “Certainly a lot has been written about Superman representing an immigrant who’s trying to fit in, a model minority... I’m always just trying to figure out, how do I use these stories as a level of commentary? I can start off with an idea, but [comics] always help to take it further.”

A lifelong comic book fan who is married to a rabbi, Brynjegard-Bialik combines traditional papercutting techniques with collage to create intricate pieces whose inspirations span centuries, blurring the lines between graphic storytelling and decorative arts, pop culture and worship.

His work has been exhibited throughout the United States and in Israel. His new show — cheekily titled “You Did WHAT To My Comics?” — opens Sept. 9 at the Osher Marin JCC in San Rafael.

Read the rest of the article here.

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