Dóra Maurer

Published to accompany a remarkable 2019 display at Tate Modern, this book examines the full career of Hungarian artist Dóra Maurer (b.1937), spanning over four decades of her experimental practice from the 1970s to the present.

From her early graphic works, photographs, and films, to her 'displacement' canvases and most recent large-scale paintings—exploring how geometric forms are affected by colour and colour perception—this publication reveals Maurer's persistent experimentation with production processes and her innovative take on traditional techniques.

The show introduces aspects of Maurer's early practice including graphic works, serial photographic works, and structural films from the 1970s and 1980s. Maurer trained in graphic techniques, and in her graphic works, she often examines the movement of markings left by different materials and production processes. Her works, be they photographs, graphic work, or films, share a preoccupation with structure, the relativity of perception, and exploration of the medium's limits.

Essays include an introductory overview by Tate curator Juliet Bingham; Klara Kemp-Welch examines Maurer's early works and pedagogical activities between 1975-77; Carly Whitefield addresses the artist's film works and the state-run Balázs Béla Studio; and David Fehér surveys the artist's practice from the 1980s to the present day.