“No Man’s Land” presents the multiple facets of Bittle’s artistic practice. As a professional diorama maker for the American Museum of Natural History, Bittle works with a technical precision honed through years of adherence to the strict conventions of her craft. Such precision is found in her paintings and drawings as well; the works from the studio, however, are noticeably freer in execution, and they manipulate subjects in a way that blends scientific research and artistic invention.
A prominent theme in Bittle’s work is natural history: “the history of animals that exist in large numbers, with consideration of the unknowable nature of the animals’ instinctual motives within their environment.” She is fascinated by the intersection of abundance and fragility, as her jackrabbit painting attest; this animal of prey is known for its reproductive power and ability to survive in the scrappiest of conditions.
