Podcast interview from the opening reception

The Osher Marin JCC has just posted a podcast of the "fireside chat" I had with Joanne Greene at the opening of my latest show. I sound a little geeky. And by "a little" I mean "totally."

Check it out here.

“And God Spoke”

“And God Spoke” is another new papercut now being featuring in "You did WHAT to my comics?!?" at the Osher Marin JCC in San Rafael, California. It measures 24" x 18", and is now available for purchase (contact me if you're interested).

“And God Spoke” progresses from the chaos of “tohu v’vohu” to the expanding light of God’s creation, ushered into being with the words, “vayehi or” (“let there be light”). The papercut features the characters of The Watcher, Metamorpho, and Black Bolt (whose voice is the source of his great power, and his role as leader of the Inhumans).

The papercut includes bit and pieces of cut-up comics, including the following:

Fantastic Four #240 & 248 (John Byrne) – Mar & Nov 1982
Fantastic Four #296-297 (John Buscema) – Nov-Dec, 1986
Green Lantern #50 (Geoff Johns) – Mar 2010
The Inhumans #1 – Jun 2000)
JLA: Liberty & Justice (Alex Ross/Paul Dini) – Nov 2003
The Lone Ranger #25 (Dynamite) – Jan 2011
Metamorpho and Aquaman #1 – Oct 2007
Outsiders #47 – Jul 2007
Secret Origins #6 (Halo) – Sep 1986
Trinity #31 (Kurt Busiek) – Dec 2008
Ultimate Mystery #1 – Sep 2010
War of Kings #5 – Sep 2009
What if...? #59 – Mar 1994
National Geographic – Jun 2012

See the rest of the show in person, or check out the catalog of works in the online catalog.

"You did WHAT to my comics?!?" Osher Marin JCC Show Catalog

 
The opening reception is this Sunday, so it's time to post a catalog of the show for you folks who either can't make it... or need a little visual persuasion. The catalog is a PDF with big images and descriptions of each piece, as well as listings of the comics that I cut up to make each one. All of the works are available for purchase; I can provide a price list on request via email.

*** Download the catalog ***

More press for the Marin show

I love this Pacific Sun interview – the reporter and I spent an hour talking about superhero movies and art, and the article came out great. "Each piece demonstrates Brynjegard-Bialik's ability to create art that is both insanely complex and gorgeously simple." Read it here.

And it's an honor to have the show selected as a "Best Bet" for this week by the Marin Independent Journal! "...questions of how we balance the sacred and the profane, the profound and the everyday, the traditional and the cutting edge..." Read it here.

Rebel Spies

"Rebel Spies" — one of the new papercuts I'll be featuring in my upcoming show, which opens this Sunday (click the image to see it larger).

"Rebel Spies" is based on Shelach Lecha in the Torah (Numbers 13:1–15:41). Moses sends spies to scout out the Land of Canaan, and they return with stories of giants who live there and clusters of grapes so large it takes two men to carry them. The story is a contrast between those who fear going into the land, and those who have faith that with God they will succeed. The papercut includes cut-up Star Wars comics, with characters and speech bubbles that complement the biblical story. So yeah, that is Princess Leia in one of the grapes.*

The opening reception for my next show — where you can see this new papercut in the flesh, as it were — is Sunday, September 9, at the Osher Marin JCC; details here. The show will be open through the end of November, but I'll be posting a catalog on my blog later this week, in case you can't make it in person.

________________________

*Are you curious about the comics that get cut up when I make my papercuts? Here's what's included in "Rebel Spies":

• Star Wars #3, #68, #70 (Marvel) – Sep 1977, Feb & Apr 1983
• Star Wars #17, #18, #30 (Dark Horse) – Apr & May 2000, May 2001
• Star Wars: Jedi Council #3 of 4 (DH) – Aug 2000
• Star Wars Crimson Empire II #3 of 6 (DH) – Jan 1999)
• Star Wars Empire #34 (DH) – Jul 2005
• Star Wars Jedi: The Dark Side #3 (DH) – Jul 2011
• Star Wars Legacy #15 (DH) – Aug 2007
• Star Wars Rebellion #5 & #15 (DH) – Aug 2006 & Jul 2008
• “The Grand Canyon” (National Geographic) – Jul 1978

Coverage at "Ink Destroyed My Brush"

"Ink Destroyed My Brush" is a blog written by a comic artist friend of mine, and he was kind enough to put together a write-up on my upcoming show, with his reflections on my destruction of that which he creates. Check it out here.

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.

Good and Evil

Detail from a new papercut that will be in my upcoming show.

Cutting up comics: a studio video

Shot with my GoPro — one hour of footage, which I edited down to this 2.5 minute video.

It features Khachaturian's "Sabre Dance" as the soundtrack (the music to which all knife-related activities should be set).

On the table? A new papercut titled "Follow Me," which will premiere at my upcoming show at the Osher Marin JCC. Please join me at the opening reception on September 9, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at the JCC. There will be free food, and local comics shop Blue Moon Comics will be bringing Jewish-created comics and graphic novels for your perusal and pleasure.

Big, juicy grapes

Detail from my "Rebel Spies" papercut, featuring a large cluster of grapes and a bit of Princess Leia.

You'll be able to see the whole thing (and lots more all-new work) in my upcoming show at the Osher Marin JCC. Please join me at the opening reception on September 9, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at the JCC. There will be free food, and local comics shop Blue Moon Comics will be bringing Jewish-created comics and graphic novels for your perusal and pleasure.

"You did WHAT to my comics?!?" coming to Marin

The power of words

No title for this piece just yet. It's about the creation of the world and the power of words, and it features a lot of Black Bolt. I've got three close-up shots I took while I was making it, showing how it developed. You won't see Black Bolt here, however — just Metamorpho and The Watcher.

You'll be able to see the whole thing (and lots more all-new work) in my upcoming show at the Osher Marin JCC. Please join me at the opening reception on September 9, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at the JCC. There will be free food, and local comics shop Blue Moon Comics will be bringing Jewish-created comics and graphic novels for your perusal and pleasure.

Getting Ready for September Show

My next show opens Sunday, September 9, at the Osher Marin JCC in San Rafael, California — and I'm cutting and cutting and cutting these days, finishing up work. Here's a detail from a piece I just completed titled "Shamayim"; it'll be at the show, and I hope you will be as well.