Introduction | Timeline | Materials | Themes | Teacher's Notes | Bibliography | Exhibitions | Glossary

Materials & Techniques

‘Every material has its rules and beware anyone who tries to break them. In this way every material has its individual beauty that can be interpreted in its own way – stone, wood, terracotta, bronze, ivory and so on.
The material and its handling are the most important aspects of sculpture and cannot be too highly regarded as yardsticks.’
Karl Duldig, 1941

Throughout his life, Karl Duldig demonstrated an extraordinary ability to adapt to many new environments. One of the ways that this skill is evident is in his use of the materials yielded by the circumstances in which he found himself. As the quote suggests, for Karl Duldig, the material determined the way it would be worked. Duldig’s journeys, training and mastery of his art, combined with acute observations of human form and movement, contributed to a body of work that embraces many styles, materials and techniques.

	Fragment, red gum, 1942 Newcastle Region Art Gallery
	Brummel’s Café, terracotta, 1980
	Mother and Child, bronze, 1942
	Kicking Out, bronze, 1976
	Crouched Figure, steatite, 1923
	Mask [The Machine], earthenware, 1955
	Malay Boy, bronze, 1939
	Ceramic/glazed earthenware, gumnut design, 1948

FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS:

INVESTIGATION
Match the works to the timeline and note the changes in material and technique that Duldig adopted. How do these reflect changes in Duldig’s social and physical environment? Discuss possible reasons for this.

REFLECTION
Compare ‘Malay Boy’ with later works. In what ways does it differ from works such as ‘Fragment’ and ‘Nofretête’ (1970) and other portraits in the exhibition? Consider material, technique and the finished effect.

EXTENSION
What do the changes in materials and technique suggest about the development of the artist and the way his practice adapted to a new cultural and physical environment? Explore what was happening in the visual arts in Australia and overseas at the same time.

FOR PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENTS:

Explore your environment and gather materials that could be used in a creative way. List these objects and where you found them. Feel them and describe how they look and feel. Think about why you found them interesting. What ideas do they inspire? Swap them amongst your friends.