"Tower of Babel" at the Pacific Design Center

This is "Tower of Babel," which will be included in "One for the Road," an exciting group show being held this Friday, January 31, at the Hudson|Linc gallery at the Pacific Design Center.

This papercut is made with cut-up and reassembled speech bubbles. It's probably obvious why. On the left is the piece in its frame; on the right, a detail shot.

It's Hudson|Linc's last show in this space, it's only for one night. It's a "cash and carry" show, with all works priced at $1000 and under. It's suite B215 at the Big Blue Whale from 5 to 8:30 pm. Artists in the show include:

Anthony Ausgang
Jaime Becker
Debra Bianculli
Dave Bondi
Isaac Brynjegard-Bialik
Gavin Bunner
Sam Dahl
Walpa D'Mark
Chuck Feesago
David French
Tm Gratkowski
Kio Griffith
Paul Guillemette
Zeal Harris
Brian Hollister
Thomas Isaac
James Johnson
Ben Junta
Kohl King
Shannon LaBelle
Olga Lah
Leanne Lee
Nick Lisica
Chris Mercier
Miriam Noske
Mary Anna Pomonis
Steven Poster
Max Presneill
Dominic Quagliozzi
Mike Reynolds
Sandy Rodriguez
Andy Romanoff
Yoshie Sakai
Danny Schaefer
Julia Strickler
Ami Tallman
Christa Toole
Philip Vaughan
Marjan Vayghan
Mike Vegas
Tracey Weiss
Renelle White Buffalo
Steven Wolkoff
Peggy Zask
Essi Zimm

"Tower of Babel" papercut incorporates comic speech bubbles

I never posted a photo of the completed "Tower of Babel" papercut that was in my recent show at Brave new World Comics -- and so with this post I remedy that situation.

It's composed in a shape reminiscent of a ziggurat, with a winding outer path that ascends to the top of the tower. The background is made of assorted cut-up speech bubbles from various comics, all chosen to reflect the theme of confusion, disorder, and emergent chaos that comes with the destruction of the tower.

Bereshit/Genesis 11:1-9

And the whole earth was of one language and of one speech. And it came to pass, as they journeyed east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. And they said one to another, "Come, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly." And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for mortar. And they said, "Come, let us build us a city, and a tower, with its top in heaven, and let us make us a name; lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth."

And God came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men built. And God said, "Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is what they begin to do; and now nothing will be withholden from them, which they purpose to do. Come, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech."

So God scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth; and they left off to build the city. Therefore was the name of it called Babel; because God did there confound the language of all the earth; and from thence did God scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.

"Tower of Babel" papercut incorporates cut-up comic book speech bubbles

Sneak peek at a detail shot of my "Tower of Babel" Paper Midrash papercut, which will likely be on the walls at my show at Brave New World Comics, starting this Saturday night. Hand-selected for this piece, the speech bubbles are from a range of comics, including Thor.

“You did WHAT to my comics?!?”
Fine Art Mash-up ∙ New Work by Isaac Brynjegard-Bialik

Opening Reception at Brave New World Comics
on Saturday, September 11, from 7 to 10 pm

Show open from September 11 through October 9