ANITA BREITENBERG

Illustrated Versions of the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament
Illustrated Versions of the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament
Ms. Brietenberg's works have been exhibited in Europe and the United States, including the Museum of Biblical Art in Manhattan, Yale University and the Washington National Cathedral. They are also included in the permanent collections of the Museum of Biblical Art in Dallas, Texas, Catholic University and Convergence Church in Alexandria, Virginia. Her art was reviewed in the New York Times and appeared on Commonweal Magazine's cover. Ms. Brietenberg seeks to broaden the appeal of contemporary Christian art to a wider and more diverse audience.
My collages are made from paper, photographs, drawings, text, fabric, and anything that lends itself to being transformed into something unique from its original usage. By rearranging unrelated and menial objects, I hope to produce images that lead one to question their perception of reality and to ponder the infinite. These works are a composite of the old and the new, the broken and the whole, the destroyed and the restored, the diminished and disdained with the delighted and desired.
While serving with the United Nations in Bosnia in the mid-nineties, I developed a concern for individuals from different cultures, and sought to find an artistic style to convey my spiritual journey, and also reach an audience with limited exposure to contemporary Christian images. I chose the mandala, an ancient design symbolizing the Universe, as an appropriate structure for spiritual contemplation. The intent is to create works giving the appearance of a dream interpretation while stylistically incorporating kaleidoscopes and stained glass windows with the mandala.