Martin Disler: Verwandlung des Einen in das Andere Bleistiftzeichnungen

Disler is regarded as one of the founders of the Neue Wilde movement, making him (along with Miriam Cahn and Klaudia Schifferle) one of the pioneers of a generation of artists in the 1980s who succeeded in conveying an unusually impetuous sense of the body in their figurative imagery. His paintings continue to attract attention today.

His fierce, gestural and expressive paintings often have figurative echoes that are simultaneously oppressive and enigmatic. He also created a graphic and sculptural oeuvre. The strong resonance of his work is also due to the numerous allusions to literary texts. Disler originally wanted to become a poet himself. In 1980, he exhibited in a solo exhibition at the Kunsthalle Basel entitled "Invasion by a false language". This show marked Disler's international breakthrough. He described the experiences of this exhibition in the book Bilder vom Maler,[8] excerpts of which were reprinted in various newspapers and magazines. This was followed by exhibitions in Switzerland, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Brazil and the USA. In 1981, Disler exhibited at the Württembergischer Kunstverein Stuttgart under the title "Die Umgebung der Liebe" (The Surroundings of Love). Of particular note there is a 140 × 4.5 meter panoramic painting The Surroundings of Love. 38 years later, in 2019, the Graubündner Kunstmuseum took over key parts of this presentation, making Disler's work accessible to a wider audience once again.

Martin Disler, born in Seewen (Switzerland) in 1949, was a restless traveler. He lived in New York, Zurich, Amsterdam, Les Planchettes and Lugano, among other places. Martin Disler died on August 27, 1996 at the age of 47 as the result of a stroke.The Buchmann Gallery in Berlin and Lugano has represented Martin Disler's estate since 2013. In the last five years, major exhibitions have been held at the Kunsthalle Bielefeld, the Skulpturenpark Waldfrieden Wuppertal, the Bündner Kunstmuseum Chur and the Kirchner Museum Davos, demonstrating the new relevance of the artist's work. Comprehensive publications have been produced to accompany the exhibitions.