| Artistic education
Liberal Arts Study, Cologne / Visual Communication, Düsseldorf.
Graduated as Master in Design. Creative Direction (Member of the Board) for international advertising agencies.
Multiple awards for design, artwork and film (i.a. Art Directors Club Germany and New York Festival).
At the same time working as a free artist, since 2011 solely. Lives and works in Meerbusch.
| Martina Ziegler's art
written by Dr. Dagmar Täube (artcura)
The image of man has always been of interest to artists. It not only reflects the prevailing picture of the world as it is but also the confrontation with private emotions.Therefore there is probably no other motive, that has been dealt with in this complexity throughout the centuries. It is equally relevant today as it was in any other time and is constantly being reinvented. Closely linked is the motion of beauty, which too has been reevaluated constantly throughout history.
Portraying women, encountering historical backgrounds from art and literature, has become Martina Zieglers core theme. With every new group of works she immerses deeper and evolves the topic.
Martina Ziegler goes her own way and develops new insights. Most important to her is the artistic struggle with the subject. With a solid foundation in fine art painting and expert craftsmanship, she is not shy of using digital techniques, but they should never be understood as an end in itself. Thereby she reaches an artistic and humane depth, that the viewer experiences in her artwork. Upon first glance all characters seem to be of impeccable beauty but at the same time not superficial. Where they are dissolved and reassembled, the viewer complements the beauty as a whole. The figures occasionally seem lost in thought and mystical - rarely joyful.
The turban pictures show a remembrance of classical paintings of great masters. In this series Martina Ziegler deals with subtle charisma. She creates works of art with timeless aesthetics and great forcefulness. Well-balanced and proportioned features paired with harmonious color impressions define those images.The depicted figure makes eye contact with the viewer but is never revealing itself. The viewer is induced to deal with the subject and thereby dealing with himself.
The Encounters have a more scenic approach. In this series Martina Ziegler mixes citations and eras, staging fictitious and established creating new works. Always depicting two figures, the viewer can question whether these may be just two sides of one person. Surrounded by a peculiar silence creating a rather lonesome atmosphere. The two figures do not approach each other but are still imperatively linked to each other, just like the light and shadow of our existence.
Many times the viewer has the feeling of seeing the picture through a misty veil. With only a few accessories Martina Ziegler displaces the figures into another era. The colorfulness and atmosphere creates a sentiment that moves the viewer directly to that time. They tell a moving story that stimulates the viewer’s introspection.
Her newest series Multiple portraits deals with the multidimensional nature of the human being on a different level. Additionally Martina Ziegler has a great interest in exploring new possibilities of expression that manifest in a complex combination of painting, photography and digital processing. The same way the compound eye of a fly captures different details which are then put together, Martina Ziegler also creates new notions and insights of the female portrait. At first one may be reminded of a cubistic conception of pictures, which she carries further by utilizing new technologies assembling new creations. Continuing on this path her portraits gain complexity, not only artistically, but also charismatically.
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