Martha Jungwirth Solo exhibition at the Guggenheim Bilbao
Martha Jungwirth (b. 1940, Vienna) has likened her artworks to a diary that traces her physical engagement with the creative process. She sees her drawings and paintings as dynamic extensions of herself, where intelligent structures of lines and blotches emerge, propelled by her emotions and movements. Jungwirth’s art is a study in fluidity, transparency, and openness, shunning the pursuit of the noble to delve into the raw, the uncensored, and the unembellished.
Jungwirth's work exists in a conversational realm between memory and representation, translating personal experiences into visual forms that are deeply individual perceptions. Through colors that carry emotional weight and gestural forms that only hint at their origins, Jungwirth’s paintings defy easy categorization, oscillating between abstraction and subtle representational elements. This artistic spectrum ranges from paintings filled with dense strokes to those marked by spare brushwork, exploring the tension between abstraction and the physical world.
Jungwirth’s early work demonstrates a distinct approach to the visceral and the subjective characterized by a fusion of Abstract Expressionism and a raw, emotive quality, setting the stage for the development of her unique aesthetic. Her oeuvre is marked by a continuous evolution, engaging with a variety of themes, from introspective self-portraits to landscapes to responses to contemporary global events, such as the 2019–20 Australian bushfires.
This exhibition presents 70 works, starting with Jungwirth’s earliest drawings that explore the boundary between representation and abstraction, and concludes with her recent series inspired by Francisco de Goya and Édouard Manet. Organized thematically, it features drawings, watercolors, oil paintings, and artist books on a variety of substrates, including handmade paper, accounting books, cardboard, and more. These unconventional materials introduce unpredictability into Jungwirth’s creative process, enhancing the spontaneity and dynamism of her work. Her dedication to thematic exploration and visual innovation highlights her distinctive stance in the art world, as she persistently challenges and extends the limits of her artistic expression.
