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Title

No 714 Wooden prototype for Adelaide Plaza bronze

1988

Artist

Robert Klippel

Australia, United States of America

19 Jun 1920 – 19 Jun 2001

Artist profile

  • Details

    Other Title
    Wooden prototype for Adelaide Plaza bronze, Adelaide, Opus 714
    Date
    1988
    Media category
    Sculpture
    Materials used
    wood assemblage
    Dimensions
    300.0 x 350.0 x 135.0 cm
    Credit
    Purchased 1989
    Location
    Not on display
    Accession number
    57.1989
    Copyright
    © Robert Klippel Estate, courtesy Annette Larkin Fine Art

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    Artist information
    Robert Klippel

    Artist profile

    Works in the collection

    259

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  • About

    Throughout the 1980s Klippel worked on a series of large wooden assemblages composed of discarded wooden patterns for machine parts. Colin Lanceley had discovered them in an industrial foundry in Ultimo during 1964. Decades later they proved ideal material for Klippel's explorations into the subtle relationships of mass, volume and planes. 'Opus 714' is a masterwork from this series. It grew out of Klippel's earlier experiments with photographic collages, as in 'Philadelphia', 1979, also in the Gallery's collection.

    Often considered a miniaturist, Klippel reveals in 'Opus 714' a shift towards large, monumental forms. He has achieved an apparently random yet perfectly balanced composition of dramatic colour, space and solid frontality. The disparate elements in 'Opus 714' have been brought into an asymmetrical yet balanced whole, in which the relationships of the static parts create an 'organic' energy.

  • Exhibition history

    Shown in 3 exhibitions

  • Bibliography

    Referenced in 20 publications

    • Nicolas Brasch, The arts in Australia: Visual arts, 'Modernist sculpture in Australia', pg. 18, Port Melbourne, 2005, 18 (colour illus.).

    • Jeni Cooper (Editor in Chief), Sunday telegraph, 'Big sculpture to be digested in bits', Sydney, 06 Oct 2002, (colour illus.). In 'Express Arts' section.

    • Sue Cramer, Cubism & Australian art, 'This Spiritual Adventure: Postwar Cubism 1950-1979', pg. 154-197, Melbourne, 2009, 166 (colour illus.).

    • Antony Davies, The Australian, 'Works of art inspired by the junkyard', pg. 8, Sydney, 05 Sep 2007, 8, 8 (illus.).

    • Rob Ditessa', Artist's palette, 'Icons on show', pg. 54-59, Sydney, 2000, 59 (colour illus.).

    • Deborah Edwards and Edmund Capon AM, OBE, Robert Klippel: large wood sculptures and collages, Sydney, 1995, front cover (colour illus., detail), 25 (colour illus.). Also reproduced on exhibition invitation

    • Deborah Edwards, Robert Klippel, 'Still point in the moving world: Sydney 1980s-90s', pg. 186-223, Sydney, 2002, 186 (colour illus., detail), 187, 191, 211 (colour illus.).

    • Deborah Edwards (Curator), Natalie Wilson (Assistant Curator) and Eric Riddler (Compilator), Robert Klippel: Catalogue raisonné of sculpture, Sydney, 2002, (illus.). No. 714 (a) Wooden prototype for Adelaide Plaza bronze

    • Anna Fern and David Llewellyn, Australia's best: artists & designers, 'Robert Klippel', pg. 22-23, Melbourne, 2004, 22, 23 (colour illus.).

    • Benjamin Genocchio., The Australian, 'Cooler kind of Mecanno', Sydney, 23 Aug 2002, (colour illus.).

    • Bruce James, Art Gallery of New South Wales handbook, 'Australian Collection: Painting and Sculpture', pg. 102-181, Sydney, 1999, 173 (colour illus.).

    • Susan McCulloch-Uehlin, The Australian, 'The nation's leading sculptor dead at 81', pg. 7, Sydney, 20 Jun 2001, 7 (illus.). Obituary by Susan McCulloch-Uehlin

    • Giucio Montagna (Editor), La Fiamma, 'Klippel: Australia's greatest sculptor', pg. 17, Leichhardt, 07 Aug 2002, 17 (illus.).

    • Barry Pearce., Older Australian masters: an exhibition of works by major Australian artists executed in the later years of their careers, 'Preface', Sydney, 1991, (illus.). not paginated, no catalogue numbers

    • Barry Pearce, Australian art: in the Art Gallery of New South Wales, 'The enduring image', pg. 265-266, Sydney, 2000, 275 (colour illus.), 301.

    • Ursula Prunster, Aspects of Australian art, Sydney, 2000, (illus.). card no. 10: James Gleeson and Robert Klippel 'Madame Sophie Sesostoris (a pre-raphaelite satire) 1947-48

    • Michael Reid, The Weekend Australian, 'Luminary ways of mover-shaper', pg. 36, Sydney, 05 Oct 2002-06 Oct 2002, 36 (illus.).

    • Lisa Slade and Rachael Kirsten, Enter Art, Sydney, 2000, sheet number 8 (colour illus.). Education kit produced by the NSW Dept of Education and Training as teaching resource for primary school teachers.

    • Jane Somerville, Look, 'Looking back: celebrating 20 years of words and images for Society members', pg. 10-11, Sydney, Oct 2005, 10 (colour illus.).

    • David Tunny., Look, 'The sculptor's studio: Robert Klippel', Heidelberg, May 1990, 3 (colour illus., detail), 13 (colour illus.).

Other works by Robert Klippel

See all 259 works