The
exhibition Instinct
and Tradition: Karl Duldig 1902-1986 brings the work
of Karl Duldig to new
audiences. Much of Duldig’s work was created during
his travels
and as he relocated his family from one home to another. Born in
Poland in 1902, the third son of a Jewish family, he arrived
in Vienna in 1914 with his parents. He studied under the distinguished
sculptor Anton Hanak and embarked
on a career as a sculptor. In 1938, after the annexation
of Austria by Nazi Germany, Duldig, his wife and baby daughter
escaped to Switzerland and then on to the former British Crown
Colony of Singapore. From there they were deported to Australia
and interned.
This exhibition reflects Karl Duldig’s contribution
to the arts and, in particular, arts education. He and his
wife, Slawa (née Horowitz),
brought sculpture and the decorative arts to a wider public
in Australia. Not only was Duldig a driving force behind
the Victorian Sculptors’ Society (later the Association
of Sculptors of Victoria), as a secondary school teacher
he helped to heighten awareness of modern European art.
The works displayed in Instinct and Tradition: Karl Duldig
1902-1986 have been selected to represent the skill
and dedication with which Karl Duldig was able to adapt
to different social and physical environments and to embrace
opportunities to work with new and varied materials
and the inspiration they yielded. It encompasses works from
all periods of his life and includes stone, bronze and clay
sculptures, ceramics and examples of his drawings.
The
education material seeks to reflect Duldig’s dedication
to education in the broadest sense. It supports the exhibition
by extending this work to a younger audience and placing
the work and experiences of Karl Duldig and his contemporaries
in a new context. The material is designed to supplement
a visit to the exhibition and to inspire further investigation
of the role of the creative arts in Australia’s cultural,
social and historical development.
-
Educational Kit 
