Gisela Stiegler (b. 1970) lives and works as an artist and designer in Vienna. She was trained as a painter at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna and in Photography at the Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam. In her work Stiegler refers to movements within art-history and looks at how they can be envisioned today (e.g. carving techniques from an old Austrian rural tradition or opulent baroque carving). Gisela Stiegler has been exploring and carving expanded polystyrene for six years as her sole raw material to work with. Over those years she has been developing a fascinating evolution and perfection of her technique and the treatment of this delicate material. The wall-objects protrude from the wall as if in the baroque tradition. The different shades created by the carving give it a deep sense of volume. Her pieces are lacquered in silver, white, blue, steal or bronze. This is when the pieces enter into conversation with the ‘other’. They become another kind and fake a long gone time as well as another material and weight, appearing like architecture or monoliths, however alive.
