Interview with Eva Moosbrugger — Contemporary Art Curator Magazine

As an artist autodidact.

Since 1981 exhibitions / participations in EU, USA, UAE, UK, CN and JP

Since 1974 studies of various painting- and materialtechniques

1984 Change to three-dimensional art; creation of wall- and room-installations made of wood, iron, photography, concrete and stone

Since 1985 studies of Raku-Ceramics. Integration of ceramic objects in the installations

1989 First stone sculptures

1991 Award of the designation Professional Visual Artist by the Austrian Federal Ministry for Education, the Arts and Culture

1992 Summer Academy Salzburg: Drawing

Since 1993 studies of diverse practices and techniques in context with glass

1995 construction of and move-in in the residential- and studio-house in the Vorarlberg mountains

Since 1995 collaboration with various muranese glass masters

1996 adoption of glass as principal material. Experiments with engraving techniques

2000 invents the engraving technique haptoglyph (Hapto Glyph = haptic term)

2008 first large-sized sculptures for public space

2011 University of Huddersfield, UK: New Technologies of Drawing

2021 School of Arts, LI: Experimental Drawing

Your artistic journey has taken you from painting and material techniques to three-dimensional art and Raku ceramics, eventually leading to stone sculpture and glass works. Can you share what inspired these shifts in your artistic medium and how your early experiences in Stuttgart, Dornbirn, and Zurich influenced your artistic evolution?

Art was always present in my childhood home, regardless of where I lived during my early life.

As an imaginative child, I was fascinated by the fact that sculptures and paintings can express much more than what is apparent by simply looking at reality, and that an artist can add qualities such as emotion, aesthetics, philosophy, subjectivity, freedom, transformation, a story, a wonder etc. to things.

I was probably most influenced by the annual summer months with my grandmother in an alpine hut in the mountains, where I learned how to observe closely and how to grasp causes and connections.

1960 Early childhood. Summermonths in the Alps.

Since I am self-taught, I have the freedom to choose exactly the artistic medium I need to express my artistic intention, and acquired the suitable technique.

The reason for the changes has always been my search for the maximum expressive potential of a medium for a work or a cycle of works.

Your venture into large-format works using welded steel and cast bronze in 2009 marked another evolution in your art. What challenges did you face working with these materials, and how do you feel these works contribute to your overall artistic narrative?

The 3-ton triptych THREE RIVERSTONES, version III made of multi-layer welded structural steel and bridge steel, was an important step towards Art in Public Space. With blown glass as a medium, one soon reaches the limits of size and so these rather small works of art were mainly suitable for the interior.

The challenge of THREE RIVERSTONES, version III was (besides the mental support of my 3 assistants) mainly physical, as I always lend a hand to my artworks. With a master locksmith and 2 assistants, I made the 3 parts in 6 weeks of 6 days, each with 10 hours. We needed construction cranes and ladders on which I had to overcome my fear of heights. The deafening noise in the workshop, the summer heat in combination with the heat of the melting metal; then the smell of gas and burnt ... this creative process was a real ordeal!!

2009 THREE RIVERSTONES version IV, production detail

2012 THREE RIVERSTONES version IV, acquisition by The Würth Collection

The bronze cast THREE RIVERSTONES, version II (a small edition of 7 + 1 ap) allowed a larger format too, and was also my first edition. So far, this is my only work that I have not actively participated in – apart from the production of the models.

Your work blurs the lines between art, architecture, craft, and design. How do you navigate these overlapping domains in your creative process?

For me, the artificial separation of art, architecture, craft and design does not exist. My work includes objects from functional vessel to abstract sculpture, from the tiny to the 3 tonne steel sculpture, from the curious to the spiritual.

I let myself drift by following my artistic intention and sometimes create a work of art that is also suitable for everyday use, or a design object with artistic properties. That's why it's sometimes difficult to categorise them clearly.

FRIENDLY THOUGHTS at Forum Würth, Rorschach CH. Commissioned work.

However, there is a common denominator of my works: quality. I only work with the very best craftsmen. In execution, perfection is my goal. My opinion: Art and design can be criticized for subjective reasons, but an artist / designer should never expose himself to being vulnerable on the qualitative level.

You have a particular affinity for glass. What is it about glass as a material that captivates you, and how does it help you convey your artistic vision?

Since 1996, I have been designing my sculptures mainly from glass – a material with almost unlimited versatility of expression. The material glass allows me to combine the three-dimensionality of forms with the colorfulness of painting and it also has the wonderful property of concentrating and reflecting light.

2016 OF ISLANDS, LAGUNAS AND OF THE HORIZON. Work Cycle Of My Travel Diary

It is a mesmerizing spectacle of timeless beauty when the changing daylight makes the object dance!

Can you share how your encounter with the Aboriginal people in the Northern Territories influenced your artistic perspective and the way you approach your work?

The Aboriginal People taught me that ALL-THAT-IS happens, can be seen and interpreted on different levels. This spiritual and extremely enriching worldview made a lasting impression on me and has found expression in my art and design ever since. I am a passionate fighter against the meaninglessness of things!

2014 BEACHCOMBING SERIES. Work cycle Of My Travel Diary, ongoing

2013 SUNRISE AT THE SEA. Work cycle Of My Travel Diary

You mention the use of traditional Venetian glassblowing techniques combined with surface engravings. How do these historical techniques contribute to your contemporary artistic expression?

My sculptures are very massively blown, in a team of 3-7 people. In close collaboration with the glassblowers on Murano, I guide them to make the blanks in the shapes and colors I want, free-blown and hot-formed. This technique requires a lot of experience, which is mastered by the Maestro. With the overlay technique, beautiful colour effects can be achieved by superimposing different coloured transparent layers. Or: by partially removing opaque layers after cooling, I can play with color also by three-dimensional objects in a way that is otherwise only possible in painting.

Winning prestigious awards like the German Design Award and Art Aurea Award must be significant milestones. How have these recognitions impacted your career and artistic journey?

You can't plan something like that... I was very happy about the recognitions! They are a confirmation that I am on the right track artistically. I believe that international awards for museums and galleries, for art collectors and design lovers, are a good indicator of the value of works of art. This was followed by more invitations to prestigeous exhibitions and significantly more art purchases.

You mention that haptics are a vital element of your art. Could you explain how you incorporate tactile elements into your work and why it's important?

Here I would like to let Ursula Neuman have her say:

“In her art, Eva Moosbrugger rearranges the boundaries of the glass medium beyond all expectations. Ingenious surface textures tempt the viewer to touch and give the sculptures their characteristic haptic appeal.

The texture and carving add complexity and tactility to the pure forms she designs, suggestive of the elemental forces that alter our landscapes.

Prominent surface treatments result from the physical act of grinding patterns into the glass, a key component of the artist’s practice. For Moosbrugger, the process is a transformational experiene involving mind and body, which becomes manifest in her art through the creative energy frozen in time on the surface and preserved after the piece has left her studio.”

Cit. Ursula Ilse-Neuman, Curator Museum of Arts and Design, Freelance Curator and Author, NY, USA, in EVA MOOSBRUGGER – PURE. Monograph. ISBN 978-3-902612038, p. 69+71.

Being Austrian and having worked extensively across various continents, how do different cultures influence your work?

I always return from my travels rich in impressions and with a backpack full of new ideas. The intellectual exchange with the people; colours and shapes of foreign landscapes; Animals; Vegetation and natural phenomena – all these are my inspirations. Since childhood, I collect my observations and perceptions in day and night books by writing them down, unlike most fellow artists who create sketches. My artworks are three-dimensional translations, so to speak.

HOMMAGE A PABLO NERUDA: THE PIGS ARE SUSTAINING THE AURORA WITH THEIR PINKCOLORED CLAWS. Work cycle: Allegories – Romanticisms. 2010 - ongoing

Considering your vast experience and evolution as an artist, what future projects or directions are you most excited about exploring?

At the moment I am busy planning for a private commission. I particularly love this phase: the work of art is created through inspiring conversations with the client and the examination of the place and its meaning.

My next cycle of works is inspired by archaeological finds. I'm starting to execute this March. Let me surprise you!