Dora Maurer Art for Sale: Prints & Originals

Dóra Maurer emerged as a prominent figure in the Hungarian art scene during the 1970s. Her work is characterised by a rigorous exploration of form, proportion, and movement, often employing systematic approaches to create visually striking works.

Maurer's artistic journey began at the Hungarian Academy of Fine Arts, where she studied from 1955 to 1961. This formal training laid the foundation for her future experimentation with various media and techniques. Throughout her career, Maurer has consistently pushed the boundaries of artistic expression, often working at the intersection of different disciplines.

A key aspect of Maurer's practice is her interest in displacement and movement. This theme permeates much of her work, from her early printmaking experiments to her later large-scale paintings and installations.

In the 1970s, Maurer began to gain recognition for her avant-garde work, which often incorporated elements of Performance and Conceptual Art. Her series Displacements (1972-1976) exemplifies her interest in systematic processes and visual perception. In these works, Maurer explored the transformation of geometric shapes through a series of predetermined rules, creating complex visual patterns that invite a consideration of the distinctions between creativity, chaos and order.

Throughout her career, Maurer has been a prolific creator and an influential figure in the Hungarian art world. In addition to producing her own vast body of work, she has been involved in organising exhibitions and supporting young artists. From 1987 to 1991, Maurer held a guest professorship at the Academy of Applied Arts in Budapest, further cementing her role as a mentor and educator in the Hungarian art scene.

Maurer's work has gained international recognition, with her works being exhibited in prestigious institutions worldwide. In 2019, Tate Modern in London held a major retrospective of her work, showcasing the breadth of her artistic practice over five decades.

Maurer's exploration of movement and change extended into experimental filmmaking. In the 1970s and 1980s, she created a series of short films that investigated visual perception and the passage of time. These films, often featuring geometric shapes and patterns, were visual experiments that contained conceptual explorations of space and movement. Maurer's approach to filmmaking was closely linked to her work in other media, demonstrating her fluid and multidisciplinary artistic practice.
From the 1980s onwards, Maurer began to focus more intensively on colour theory and perception. Her Overlappings series, which she began in the 2000s, presents layered colours that shift in tone and intensity, creating an illusion of movement and spatial transformation as viewers change their vantage point. These vibrant, large-scale works explore how adjacent colours influence one another and play with perception, making each piece a dynamic experience that engages viewers with the complex, physiological responses invoked by colour.
Maurer played a central role in the development of the Hungarian Neo-Avant-Garde movement. During the 1970s and 1980s, when Hungary was still under communist rule, Maurer was part of a group of artists who sought to create work outside the official state-sanctioned art system. Her involvement in organising unofficial exhibitions and her innovative artistic practices helped to foster a vibrant alternative art scene in Budapest. Maurer's influence extended beyond her own work, as she mentored younger artists and helped to create spaces for experimental art practices.