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Materials & Techniques

Kicking Out, bronze, 1976

For a short period Karl Duldig experimented with beeswax, from which he created a series of sprightly figures. He found this new material was delightfully flexible - it liberated the artist and resulted in sculptures that are entirely different from those made from more traditional materials such as stone, wood or clay. The lost wax casting process was not only easier to produce, but also considerably reduced the costs involved. Duldig worked directly with the softened wax, heating it with a candle and modelling it with his hands. The hexagonal patterning found on the surface of these works derives from the thin honeycomb-textured sheets of beeswax and was deliberately retained in the finished pieces.

This sculpture also illustrates Duldig’s love of sport. In his youth he had been an outstanding footballer, table-tennis player and tennis player and he applied this interest in, and innate understanding of, movement to his art.

Why is this method of casting simpler than the traditional - more extended - process?

What other works in the exhibition have been made from beeswax?

What other works illustrate the artist’s interest in sport?

Experiment with wax to make your own objects. Explore and describe how the wax feels when it is cold and how it changes when heated. What objects can you find in galleries and your own school and home environments that are made of wax? What are some reasons why it was necessary to cast these models in a more lasting form?