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This gorgeous mixed media textile work of Karen Goetzinger depicts the vivid text from the whole chapter of Revelation 21 describing a "new heaven and a new earth.

Revelation 21

Revelation 21

By 

Karen Goetzinger

Credits: 

Curated by: 

Jonathon Roberts

2011

30 x 30 inches

Mixed Media Textile

Image by Giorgio Trovato

Primary Scripture

I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth have passed away, and the sea is no more.
I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband.
I heard a loud voice out of heaven saying, “Behold, God’s dwelling is with people, and he will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; neither will there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, any more. The first things have passed away.”
He who sits on the throne said,
“Behold, I am making all things new.” He said,
“Write, for these words of God are faithful and true.”

He said to me,
“I have become the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give freely to him who is thirsty from the spring of the water of life.


He who overcomes, I will give him these things. I will be his God, and he will be my son.


But for the cowardly, unbelieving, sinners, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their part is in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls, who were loaded with the seven last plagues came, and he spoke with me, saying, “Come here. I will show you the wife, the Lamb’s bride.”
He carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,
having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, as if it were a jasper stone, clear as crystal;
having a great and high wall; having twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel.
On the east were three gates; and on the north three gates; and on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.
The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them twelve names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb.
He who spoke with me had for a measure a golden reed to measure the city, its gates, and its walls.
The city is square, and its length is as great as its width. He measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand twelve stadia. Its length, width, and height are equal.
Its wall is one hundred forty-four cubits, by the measure of a man, that is, of an angel.
The construction of its wall was jasper. The city was pure gold, like pure glass.
The foundations of the city’s wall were adorned with all kinds of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald;
the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprasus; the eleventh, jacinth; and the twelfth, amethyst.
The twelve gates were twelve pearls. Each one of the gates was made of one pearl. The street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.
I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God, the Almighty, and the Lamb, are its temple.
The city has no need for the sun, neither of the moon, to shine, for the very glory of God illuminated it, and its lamp is the Lamb.
The nations will walk in its light. The kings of the earth bring the glory and honor of the nations into it.
Its gates will in no way be shut by day (for there will be no night there),
and they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it so that they may enter.
There will in no way enter into it anything profane, or one who causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

Revelation 21

Revelation 21 is a triptych consisting of Italian pima cotton organdy, cotton, tulle, gold lamé, acrylic paint, and gold leaf. Three 30″ x 10″ canvasses combine to make a 30″ x 30″ work in reflection of Revelation 21:16 -- "The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide."


The city skyline is layers of organdy (often used in wedding gowns) built up as a city and then monoprinted with acrylic paint, connecting to verse 2: "I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband."


The bottom portion of each section was made by painting cotton fabric – cutting up the fabric into small rectangles of varying sizes and reassembling, overlapping the rectangles slightly. That new “fabric” was then stitched over the top in interlocking rectangles. Sheer tulle was stitched over the top in reflection of verses 19-20: "The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst."


Each section of the triptych was monoprinted: the red “splotches” symbolizing the blood of the Lamb, the portions of text as well as the gold lamé Alpha & Omega, and Chi Rho. This stems from verse 6: "He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End."


The gold leaf cross illuminates the city from verse 23: "The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp."


The piece now resides in the east entrance of the chapel at Martin Luther College in New Ulm, Minnesota.



Spark Notes

The Artist's Reflection

In a world increasingly enthralled with high speed technology and quantity over quality production goals, Karen Goetzinger finds artistic inspiration in time honored traditions. She uses techniques that compel her to savor the process of creating; from the exhilaration of selecting colours and textures to the rhythmic lullaby of stitching by hand.


Ms. Goetzinger is an award winning artist, teacher, and lecturer currently living in Ottawa, Ontario. She is known and sought after for her finely detailed mixed media textile works that are influenced by her roots in traditional quilt making, couture construction, and her lifelong passion for the urban landscape. Since 2005 she has taught at the Ottawa School of Art and is currently a mentor/instructor in the Fine and Contemporary Craft Mentoring Program.

Karen Goetzinger

About the Artist

Karen Goetzinger

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