Robert Klippel: A Language of Forms

Robert Klippel is regarded as one of Australia’s most significant postwar sculptors. Klippel aimed to create an art that expressed the defining aspects of twentieth-century life by exploring the interrelationship between the cogwheel and the bud. While best known for his sculpture born from the fusion of mechanical and organic forms, Klippel also worked extensively with drawing media, producing approximately five thousand works on paper in his lifetime.

Klippel initially viewed drawing as a preliminary tool to assist in creating three-dimensional forms. Over time, however, he came to view his art practice in non-hierarchical terms. Although he stopped making preparatory drawings for sculptures in the second decade of his career, the techniques and ideas he explored in his ongoing drawing practice continued to heavily influence his sculptural work.

This display explores Klippel’s evolving creative process and preoccupations. Featuring works on paper and sculptures spanning from 1947 to 1976, the display showcases how Klippel’s drawings and collages served as testing grounds for technical innovation and imaginative experimentation.