Mária Bartuszová

Renowned for her innovative approaches to form and material, Maria Bartuszová produced prolific ethereal and evocative sculptures throughout her three-decade career. Іру crafted a unique sculptural language, shaped by her pioneering techniques in plaster casting.

Biography of Maria Bartuszová

Maria Bartuszová was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic), in 1936. From 1951 to 1955, she studied at the Higher School of Applied Arts in Prague. She then continued her education at the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague.

Following her graduation, she relocated to Košice, Slovakia, with her husband, sculptor Juraj Bartusz.

In 1966, Bartuszová made her debut at the "Exhibition of the Young" at the House of Arts in Brno, Czech Republic. This marked a significant milestone in her career. She was a prominent member of the Klub konkrétistů, a group dedicated to Concrete art. Throughout her lifetime, Bartuszová exhibited her work extensively, primarily in Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

The Cold War-era restrictions in socialist Czechoslovakia limited Bartuszová's direct exposure to European and global art scenes. Nevertheless, she remained keenly aware of artistic trends. Her personal library provided access to influential figures like Constantin Brancusi, Louise Bourgeois, Alberto Giacometti, Henry Moore, and Isamu Noguchi, among others. These artists undoubtedly shaped her own artistic development.

In the 1960s, Bartuszová pioneered a technique she termed "gravistimulated modeling," which became a cornerstone of her early sculptural work. By the mid-1960s, her focus had shifted towards abstraction. In the 1970s, Bartuszová's methods evolved to emphasize the effects of weight, leading to the creation of soft plaster sculptures. In the 1980s, she frequently photographed her works outdoors, underscoring their deep connection to nature.

The artist died in 1996 in Košice, Slovakia.

Maria Bartuszová's Famous Works

Bartuszová created approximately 500 sculptures, ranging from small organic forms to large-scale public commissions and site-specific works. Notable works include "Untitled" (1962-1964), "Folded Figure" (1965), "Folded Figure" (1968), "Three-Part Sculpture IV, Germination" (1975-1980), "Rebound Torso," (1984), "Perforated Torso" (1986), and many more. 

Maria Bartuszová's Art Style

Bartuszová's initial interest in casting was cultivated during her studies at the Academy of Applied Arts in Prague. While specializing in ceramics and porcelain at the academy, she primarily crafted delicate, hollow forms like tea sets and vases.

In the 1960s, Bartuszová developed the technique of gravistimulated modeling, which shaped the conceptual framework of her early sculptures. This process involved pouring plaster into a filled mold, often balloons or tires, and then manually pressing or binding the form as the plaster began to set.

In the mid-1960s, the artist turned her attention to abstraction. Driven by a desire for a swift method of creating pure, perfect forms, she developed haptic sculptures that captured the fleeting shapes found in nature. Her inspiration drew from natural processes like seed germination, fruit ripening, raindrops, and wind. Towards the end of her career, Bartuszová began placing her sculptures in the trees of her garden to photograph them. This practice eventually evolved into displaying her works in outdoor settings as part of exhibitions.

Throughout her life, Bartuszová's artistic methods were grounded in intuition, play, and meditation. Her choice of materials and approaches reflected the central themes of her practice: existence, reflection, growth, and decay.