Judith Wagner studied sculpture at the University of Applied Arts under Wander Bertoni, Sepp Auer and Brigitte Kowanz. She is a lecturer at the New Design University St. Pölten and a member of the Austrian Society of Fine Artists.
Her artistic work focusses on people and the attempt to define them as such. Animals are placed in relation to him or merged with him, making it clear that the terms "human" and "humanness" are often difficult to distinguish. Due to their mostly lifelike size, Judith Wagner's figures confront the viewer as equal counterparts that share the space with him and have a noticeable influence on it. The posture, body shape and nature of the works seem to externalise what is hidden in people.
The artist deforms some of her figures in order to depict an inner human state. They are pushed out of the centre of gravity, often appearing distorted and exaggerated, taking up space for themselves or creating it. The result is an interplay of positive and negative, of body and emptiness. This is emphasised by the unusual surface texture of the sculptures. Depth and surface, light and shadow lend structure to the sculptural forms.
Fotocredit © Judith Wagner © Gerlinde Gorla © Michael Lebek
