Martha Jungwirth

Martha Jungwirth, an Austrian painter born in Vienna (1940), is a renowned artist who still resides and creates in her hometown. With a career spanning several decades, Jungwirth, now in her eighties, has established herself as a prominent figure in the art world.

Martha Jungwirth's Biography

Born on January 15, 1940, in Vienna, Martha Jungwirth quickly gained recognition for her artistic talent. In 1961, she was awarded the Monsignor-Otto-Mauer Prize, followed by prestigious honors such as the Theodor Körner Prize in 1964 and the Joan Miró Prize in 1966. Jungwirth's distinctive painting style is widely regarded as one of the most innovative of the 1980s Neue Wilde painters in Austria.

After graduating from the Academy of Applied Art Vienna in 1963, Jungwirth became the only female member of the artists' group called Wirklichkeiten (Realities), alongside five male colleagues. The group was formed in 1968 by Otto Breicha, who later became the director of Salzburg's Rupertinum, for an exhibition at the Vienna Secession.

The art historian and museum director Alfred Schmeller described Jungwirth as "The first crocodile is a female crocodile." A year later, they married, and their union was perceived by many as a factor that made the art world hesitant to fully embrace her.

Despite this hesitancy, Jungwirth remained dedicated to her artistic practice, demonstrating a passionate and spontaneous approach. 

The art style of Martha Jungwirth

JJungwirth herself described her art as a diary, stating that drawing and painting are a movement that runs through her. Jungwirth's compositions reveal themselves to her during the act of painting, as she collaborates with her materials to create works that exist in a delicate balance between chance and calculation. The physical intensity of her tactile surfaces and bursts of color harmonize with her sensitivity and restraint.

She draws inspiration from various sources, including personal encounters, global travels, art history, Greek mythology, and political events. 

With a deep understanding of aesthetic principles, Martha Jungwirth skillfully creates subtle color harmonies using quick strokes and washes of paint. Her dynamic art style coexists with fragility, evident in delicate marks and occasional drips.