Australian Sculpture
2008-08-20

Australian Sculpture 

Sculpture has been part of many everyday Australian places including streets, public squares, buildings, parks and gardens. Sculptors use materials such as stone, wood, metal, resin and plastics to create anything from small fine art objects to large-scale works that can become powerful landmarks.

Some sculptors are self-taught, others learn from an early period of assisting a more senior artist, or from formal training at Australian and international art schools. Carving, casting, welding and assemblage are just a few of the techniques used to create sculptures. Some forms of sculpture are incorporated into other objects or surfaces; for instance, buildings can incorporate relief sculpture.The influence of sculpture is obvious in the overall design of some notable Australian buildings such as Federation Square and The Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (2002) both in Melbourne and the Sydney Opera House (1973). 

Histoty of Australian sculpture
As an aspect of the ongoing creative and cultural traditions of Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, The array of sculpture made in Australia since early European settlement reflects the vision and talent of many artists from many cultures. The subjects and ideas each sculpture expresses, the materials and techniques it is made with, the reason it was made and the way that people interpret it can all be influenced by artistic, political and cultural fashions.

¡ô18th and 19th century sculpture 
In the 18th and 19th century, Sculpture followed classical European traditions, mostly representing the human form or aspects of nature in realistic, if sometimes romanticised, ways. For a range of practical and other reasons, sculpture was not part of early decades of Australian colonial life.

Vivid examples of European sculpture began in Tasmania in the 1830s and 1840s with stone-carvings on the Ross Bridge by Daniel Herbert, portraiture busts by Benjamin Law and wax portrait medallions by Theresa Walker, among others. By the mid-to-late 19th century, sculptors such as Emil Todt, Thomas Woolner and John Simpson MacKennal were creating portrait medallions, busts of notable people, statues and monuments using carving, modelling and metal casting techniques.

In the late 1800s, the Impressionist movement had a strong impact on painting while the work of French sculptor Auguste Rodin (1840-1917) was a leading European influence for sculptors. Among those influenced by the English New Sculpture movement of this time were Australian artists Charles Douglas Richardson, Bertram Mackennal and Harold Parker.

¡ô20th century sculpture

A common focus for Australian sculptors was work on war memorials like Charles Web Gilbert and Paul Montford during the 1920s. The influence of Art Deco was unmistakable in Rayner Hoff's War Memorial (1927-31), in Adelaide. Ola Cohn's sculptures of the 1930s reflected a new modernity that was a bit beyond most Australians at the time.

Although sculpture was moving towards more abstract forms, academic naturalism remained at the core of Daphne Mayo's well-known works, which were largely commissions. Lyndon Dadswell was appointed as an official war artist during World War II.

British sculptors Henry Moore (1898-1896) and Anthony Caro (1924- ) were two contrasting, but key, influences for Australian sculpture after World War II. Caro also taught at the St Martin's School of Art in London where several Australian sculptors trained including Ron Roberston-Swann and Michael LeGrand.

Other great developments for Australian sculpture took place in the 1960s. These included the 1961 Mildura Art Prize (leading to subsequent, significant Mildura sculpture events) and the 1963 touring exhibition Recent British Sculpture.

American influences of minimalism and abstraction came to Australia in the 1970s, and the 1973 touring exhibition Some Recent American Art contributed to this. And In the early 1980s, Australian sculpture had to overcome a sense of stagnancy. It moved forward through a search for new meaning and changes including a return to figurative works that appealed to wider audiences.

In 1990s, among the greatest artists were Michael Esson, Peter Cole, Marea Gazzard, Mona Ryder, Tony Trembath and Hossein Valamanesh. By the end of the 20th century, the work of Australian sculptors confidently drew on many styles, techniques and cultures - following individual interests and also branching into newer forms such as sound sculpture and installations.

Forms of Australian Sculpture 
¡ô Public Art

Australian cities, towns and landscapes feature the work of Australian sculptors as decorative, social, political and artistic statements. Some works such as Ron Robertson-Swann's Vault (also referred to as The Yellow Peril ) have attracted public outrage, other works are points of remembrance, pride or affection.

During the 1990s, sculpture has added impact and character to major projects such as the Federal Parliament House in Canberra and Melbourne's city gateway at the beginning of the City Link freeway. A number of artworks were commissioned to celebrate the Sydney 2000 Olympics, including sculptures by Dominique Sutton that featured on the city's Centrepoint Tower. Two of these, the gymnast and the wheelchair basketballer, are now at the Australian Institute of Sport. The other one, the sprinter, is at Sydney Olympic Park.

¡ôParks

Australia has a number of special galleries, parks and other places where people can enjoy sculpture collections. These include the Broken Hill Symposium, the McLelland Gallery and Sculpture Park, William Ricketts Sanctuary, Herring Island, Macquarie University Sculpture Park, Gomboc Gallery and The National Gallery of Australia Sculpture Garden. 

Each year the Helen Lempriere Award and Sculpture By the Sea bring together leading contemporary sculpture for public enjoyment, and provide recognition for artists through art prizes, awards and publicity.