Art world mourns the loss of Hubert Schmalix: a master of new painting died

Art world mourns the loss of Hubert Schmalix: a master of new painting died

Graz, Österreich - On March 24, 2025, the art world reached the sad news of the death of the Austrian painter Hubert Schmalix. He died at the age of 73 and leaves a remarkable legacy as one of the most important representatives of modern painting in Austria.

Hubert Schmalix was born on December 17, 1952 and began his artistic training from 1971 to 1976 at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna. His career picked up speed at the end of the 1970s when he had his first exhibitions in the Vienna Künstlerhaus and in the Ariadne gallery. His remarkable achievements include the first staff exhibition in the Joanneum Ecksaal in Graz in 1978, which served as a springboard for his artistic career.

artistic breakthrough and style

The international breakthrough Schmalix ’came in 1980 with an invitation to the“ Aperto ”at the Venice Biennale. In the following years he became known as part of the movement of the "new painting", which developed in response to conceptualism. Schmalix 'work was characterized by large-format, abstract-expressive paintings, which often deposited human figures in dramatic poses. He was inspired by the color dynamics of the new savages, a movement that emerged in the early 1980s and created color -intensive, emotional reactions to the audience. This movement questioned the minimalist and conceptual tendencies of the 1970s and led to a renaissance of figurative painting - a development that was also clear in Schmalix 'work.

An outstanding example of his early works is the image "14 cigarettes" from 1976, which is viewed as the initial work of "New Painting" in Austria. In his later creative phases, especially after moving to Los Angeles in 1987, the focus shifted to female acts and city views as well as Christ pictures that had influences of Mexican folk art.

influence and recognition

Schmalix was not only an estimated artist, but also an influential teacher. From 1997 he held a professorship at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna. During his career, he received numerous awards, including the Prize of the City of Vienna for Fine Arts in 1998 and most recently in 2022 the honor of honor of the State of Styria for science, research and art as well as the Austrian honor for science and art.

His work was represented in numerous national and international exhibitions. He also worked as a gallery owner in California. His remarkable installations include the design work at the parish church of St. Paul in Salzburg as well as the covered representation of a flower still life at the Vienna Ring Tower in 2008, a symbol of its artistic versatility and its commitment to art.

Hubert Schmalix leaves a significant legacy, which is characterized by its innovative color palette and its ability to process emotional and social issues in his art. His influence will continue to resonate in the art scene and beat inspiring waves.