Page 23 - ART GIANTS issue of World of Art (WOA) Contemporary Art Magazine

MARTHA JUNGWIRTH

Martha Jungwirth (b. 1940, Vienna) describes her artistic
practice as a form of diary, chronicling her physical
engagement with creation. Her drawings and paintings
serve as dynamic extensions of herself, where spontaneous
structures of lines and blotches emerge, driven by emotion
and movement. Jungwirth’s approach embraces fluidity,
transparency, and openness, rejecting conventional notions of
refinement in favor of raw, unfiltered expression.
Her work exists at the intersection of memory and
representation, translating personal experiences into
distinct visual forms that reflect individual perception.
Through emotionally charged colors and gestural marks
that only subtly suggest their origins, her paintings resist
easy categorization, shifting between abstraction and
elusive figurative elements. This spectrum encompasses
compositions dense with vigorous brushstrokes alongside

Martha Jungwirth | Untitled, from the series Nausicaa (Ohne Titel, aus der
Martha Jungwirth | Portrait U. K. (Porträt U. K.), 2019 Oil on paper over Serie Nausikaa ), 2001 Watercolor on handmade paper 140 x 105 cm. Museum
canvas 235x195 cm. Sammlung Öesterreichische Nationalbank © Martha Liaunig. © Martha Jungwirth, Bilbao, 2024. Photo © Museum Liaunig
Jungwirth, Bilbao, 2024. Photo OeNB

works defined by their sparseness, exploring the interplay
between abstraction and the tangible world.
Jungwirth’s early practice established a highly personal visual
language, fusing elements of Abstract Expressionism with an
uninhibited, visceral intensity. Her continually evolving body
of work spans a wide range of themes, including introspective
self-portraits, landscapes, and responses to contemporary
global events, such as the 2019–20 Australian bushfires.
This exhibition features 70 works, beginning with Jungwirth’s
earliest drawings, investigations into the threshold between
representation and abstraction, and culminating in her recent
series inspired by Francisco de Goya and Édouard Manet.
Organized thematically, the exhibition includes drawings,
watercolors, oil paintings, and artist books on diverse
substrates such as handmade paper, accounting books, and
cardboard. These unconventional materials introduce an
element of unpredictability into Jungwirth’s process, amplifying
the spontaneity and energy of her work. Through her sustained
exploration of themes and relentless innovation, Jungwirth
asserts her distinctive position in the contemporary art world,
continuously challenging and expanding the boundaries of
artistic expression.

WORLD of ART 23