Robert Muntean
b. 1982, Austria
Robert Muntean’s works resist any attempt at rapid consumption, which is such a recognizable feature of so much contemporary art where the image is absolute, rather than the exploration of language. If we look back to Picasso and Braque's early cubist masterpieces, it is their exploration of the pictorial plane and what this meant in terms of seeing, which rendered the movement so revolutionary; whether the subject was a woman or various forms of still life, it was secondary to how the painting was achieved. Unfortunately, these considerations are less prominent today. However, the time needed from us for these works to be understood is reminiscent of the attention required to enjoy Muntean' s paintings.
Muntean’s narrative, whilst always basing itself around the human figure, varies quite considerably from historical figures, cinematic characters to rock musicians. There is a harmony and rhythm in the works, in how he applies the paint, which resonates with the dynamism and shading of a musical score.
Robert Muntean was born 1982 in Leoben, Austria. He currently lives and works in Berlin.
Muntean studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna and the Academy of Visual Arts in Leipzig. He has had numerous solo presentations in galleries and institutions across Europe, US, China and Korea. His works are featured in prominent collections such as the Leopold Museum, the Siemens Collection and the Collection of the Federal Ministry for Education in Vienna amongst others. His work has been recently exhibited at Leopold Museum, Vienna, the Essl Museum, Klosterneuburg, Kunstverein Steyr, Steiermark, Pop/off/art Gallery, Moscow and Kunstraum Potsdam, Potsdam.