INSPIRE ME! Artist, Gerda Liebmann

Art has an inherent ability to express the divine

~ GERDA LIEBMANN

Splintered Cedar installation with mulch and cedar chips 8' diameter

By Ernest Disney-Britton

When I asked Swiss-born, now New Jersey-based Gerda Liebmann to join us in the INSPIRE ME series, her gentle answer was, "Thank you for the opportunity." There is an intense gentleness about Gerda's expressions, in her paintings, sculptures and installations which make her ideal for this series. I hope you find that same gift in her works.

Gerda Liebmann profile with teacup

GERDA: Art has an inherent ability to express the divine. It speaks directly to the part of us that responds viscerally to beauty—and that responds to the meaning things have, simply because they are. That's why art is especially helpful for bringing new life to familiar scriptures.I really try to use the right medium for the message. So my work includes painting, photography, video and installations. I am often inspired by scripture. But I also draw inspiration from the expressions of God’s being I find in the world.

"The Wind Blows Where it Wishes" (Watch: Video)

"Salvation: Self Portrait Triptych"
acrylic and gold leaf on canvas, 3 x 20" x 16"

GERDA: I share the trust of the Church in a redeeming God who is bringing us from lostness to foundness through the work of the Cross and the new life of the resurrection. Central to my faith is the love by which God unites us with Himself and each other.

"Beauty Instead of Ashes,"
acrylic on canvas, collage, plaster, gold leaf , 12" x 12"

GERDA: Some people are highly resistant—if not outright hostile—towards art that has an explicitly religious theme. Also, the gestation process for a piece that combines both esthetic and doctrinal integrity can be trying to them.

"The Body - The Blood"
fabric, hosts, veil, dye, 2 x 12' x 2'

GERDA: I appreciate Makoto Fujimura and Bruce Herman, because of their love for God, people and beauty—and because of the guidance they’ve given me personally. Other favorites are Chagall (for his whimsy and narrative language), Van Gogh (for the sheer physical intensity of his canvasses) and the abstract expressionists as a whole.

"Because of the Cloud"
acrylic on canvas, gold leaf, 4' x 6'

TAHLIB: We at Alpha Omega Arts invite you to discover more about Gerda Liebmann and her work. Please visit her website, follow her blog or join us in following her on twitter too:

• http://www.gerdaliebmannarts.com/

www.gliebmann.blogspot.com

www.twitter.com/imxinmei

Gerda's "Daily Cross" photo invitation