SoftcoverHandwritten note from the artist to Patricia and Johnaustralian art, national gallery of victoria, clifford last, geoffrey edwards, noel hutchison, walsh st library

Amitayus, also called Amitabha, is the Buddha of Infinite Light, associated with longevity. He is holding in his hands a vessel containing the nectar of immortality. Amitayus is considered one of the Five Dhyani Buddhas in Mahayana Buddhism. Amitayus Buddha statue, wearing jewelled ornaments of a peaceful heavenly god according to the classical Indian system of divine aesthetics. tibetan buddhism, holy objects, buddhist art, statues

Gunn’s work explores political and social values through the mediums she uses and the inspiration she draws upon. In 'Fire Sticks', Gunn uses recycled material as an explorational response to throw away culture, while the design draws inspiration from the sticks used in firestick farming and the charred remains of flora after a fire, which highlights the history and place of fire in Australia.Wangaratta Art Gallery Collection. Winner of the 2009 Wangaratta Contemporary Textile Award.This artwork was sculpted out of recycled inner tubes woven together with cotton thread on wooden poles.wangaratta art gallery, mandy gunn, sculpture, textile, wcta

A cast terazzo vase covered in a blue wash with sculpted wires arranged in the vase.rose wedler, sculpture

Slawa Horowitz-Duldig) was both an artist and a designer, and both aspects of her practice are represented in the collection. There is an archive of approximately 255 drawings by Slawa dating from 1917 until 1922. Slawa’s sketchbooks from this period provide an insight into her early training and demonstrate the artist’s early interest in portraiture. A number of the drawings have been framed, but the majority remains 'in situ'. Slawa was a student at the Viennese Kunstschule für Frauen und Mädchen (the Viennese Art School for Women and Girls) (KFM) from 1917 until 1921, and in 1922 she became a student of Anton Hanak. The KFM School had been established in 1897 as a private school, and it was highly regarded both for its teaching staff and academic curriculum. By 1918 it had introduced stringent admission policy similar to those of the Austrian Academy of Fine Arts, and obtained government funding for its academic program, and began to focus on students seeking to pursue careers as professional artists. In 1921 when Slawa applied to the Austrian Academy of Arts for a place in its program, her application was unsuccessful, as her work was considered advanced, and a place in the third or fourth year of the program was not available. In 1922 she became a private student of Anton Hanak. Many of the portrait images from this early period concentrate on capturing the physical appearance of the face of the model. A number of these studies, in which the subject is not identified, display an academic approach to the genre. Her technical skills in capturing precise facial features of the model, the expression of eyes and the texture of hair are evident. These drawings were perhaps completed in the studio of the KFM School. There are also portraits of friends and family members, including her sister Rella and others, perhaps parents and grandparents, who have yet to be identified conclusively. It is these images of family and friends that particularly demonstrate Slawa’s confidence with pen, charcoal and crayon on paper. Amongst the group are several portraits that indicate the artist’s interest in conveying the inner psyche of a subject, as well as capturing a likeness. Ann Carew 2016The drawings from this period give us an insight into the artist’s early training, and the teaching methods of Viennese Kunstschule für Frauen und Mädchen, one of the first professional art schools for women in Vienna. The drawings and sketchbooks have artistic, interpretative and research significance as records of the art education of women in Vienna in the early 20th century. Ann Carew 2016Charcoal over pencil sketch on paper of Slawa's sister Rella.Artist signature in the bottom left corner.

The Wiener Werkstätte (Viennese workshops) established by Josef Hoffman and Kolomon Moser in 1903 are today celebrated for their work in promoting the involvement of artists, designers and craftspeople in the manufacture of home furnishings; however Sigmund Járay’s firm was also an important, although today lesser-known, Viennese manufacturer of Kunstmöbel (art furniture). An Austro-Hungarian designer of Jewish descent, Sigmund Járay (1838-1908) established his Kunstmöbelfabrik (art furniture factory) in Vienna in the 1870s in partnership with his brother Sándro Járay (1845-1916), a sculptor. The firm with its team of cabinet makers, modellers, sculptors, upholsterers, painters and gilders, manufactured bespoke furnishings and decorated interiors for public and private clients, including the Imperial court. Such was the prominence of the work of this factory, that in 1899 one of the first purchases of the newly formed Austrian Museum of Applied art was a suite of furniture designed by Sigmund Járay for a married worker. In commissioning the furniture, Slawa was adopting the custom of Viennese couples to furnish their homes with bespoke furniture from the interior design firms that flourished in early 20th century in Vienna. Comparative material is held in the National Gallery of Victoria collection; a suite of furniture by Josef Hoffman commissioned by the Gallia family in 1912; and a suite of furniture by Adolf Loos commissioned by the Langer family in 1903. Ann Carew 2016The bedroom suite is aesthetically significant for the quality of its craftsmanship and design. It is a significant example of domestic interior design in Vienna during the 1930s. The bedroom suite is intact, and has been preserved in its entirety – double bed and side tables, wardrobe and linen press, stool and day bed. It has the potential to be displayed in situ in the place where it was last in use. It is of historical significance. Many Jewish families had all their possessions lost or destroyed during the war years. The story of the furniture’s journey from Austria to Australia is relevant to the study of the experience of émigré families during the Holocaust, and the importance of return of their property. It is rare, as it and the furniture in the living and dining room, are the only known examples in Australia of furniture manufactured by the firm of Sigmund Jàray. The provenance of the furniture is excellent, and is demonstrated by photographs taken in Vienna; correspondence with the donor’s sister, Rella; and the quotation from Sigmund Járay Kunstmöbelfabrik. It is in excellent condition. Ann Carew 2016Bedroom suite consisting of a double bed, two side tables, an upholstered stool and upholstered day bed, and a wardrobe and linen press. Made of Maple and Rosewood. Designed by the firm of Sigmund Jaray with Slawa Horowitz-Duldig.

This piece of fabric, known Fälter (butterfly), was designed by Mathilda Flögl (1893-1958), who worked in the textile department of the Wiener Werkstätte in Vienna. It is a remnant of the fabric that was used to make a bedspread for Karl and Slawa’s bed in their Vienna apartment where it lay decoratively over a gold brocade eiderdown. The purchase demonstrated Slawa’s interest in and knowledge of modern design and her commitment to the idea of enriching everyday life with beautiful objects, a principal of the Viennese Secession. Following the Duldigs removal from Vienna, the original bedspread and remnant were safeguarded and preserved by Slawa’s sister, Rella, in the basement of her Paris apartment. In 1948 the bedspread and this remnant were sent to Australia. The bedspread was a much-loved item but deteriorated over the years. In 1955 it was made into curtains, which are held in the Duldig Studio Collection. The Photographs of the bedspread in its original location are also held in the collection. The remnant is in pristine condition. The Wiener Werkstätte (Vienna Workshop) was a guild of designers and craftsmen that was founded by the architect Josef Hoffman (1879-1956) and the designer Koloman Moser (1868-1918). The firm manufactured a range of interior furnishings between 1903 and 1932. The textile department opened in 1900, and produced about 1,800 designs, mainly for printed fabrics for furnishings and apparel. The designs were characterised by simplified forms and vivid colours, and inspired by Eastern European peasant art and geometric motifs in contemporary painting. The workshop had a profound impact of European art and design, and its work is still celebrated today. Mathilde Flögl was born in the Czech Republic in 1893, and studied at the Kunstgerwerbeschule in Vienna. In 1916 she began working at the Weiner Werkstätte, and where she designed more than 120 textile patterns. This fabric Fälter or Butterfly was designed in 1924. The butterfly was a favourite motif of Flögl. In this design she plays with a variety of whimsical abstractions and arrangement of both the butterfly and the snail on a background of abstract colour stripes and blocks. Ann Carew 2016The fabric is of great aesthetic interest as an example of the work of the Viennese workshops, and the noted designer textile designer Mathilde Flögl. The original pencil drawings, pencil and gouache designs, and fabric swatches for Fälter are held in the MAK Museum in Vienna, and the Victorian and Albert Museum in London have a sample of piece of the silk fabric in an alternate colour wave. The Museum of Applied Arts in Sydney holds a swatch book of textiles from the Wiener Werkstätte, however Flögl’s work is not represented. The National Gallery of Victoria holds a similar swatch book. The remnant has an excellent provenance, is associated with a powerful personal narrative, and is significant and rare item relating to history of the Wiener Werkstätte in Vienna, and the oeuvre of Matilda Flögl.   Ann Carew 2016Remnant of a block-printed silk fabric used to make the bedspread for Karl Duldig and Slawa Horowitz-Duldig's bed in Vienna.

The influence of Symbolist art is clear in Slawa's early folios of drawings and paintings where familiar themes of dream-like states, apparitions and mythological creatures are used. Later drawings such as Head of a Woman with closed eyes, c.1921 show a boldness and psychological intensity reminiscent of notable member of the Vienna Secession, painter Egon Schiele whose final exhibition took place in Vienna in 1918. Signed Slawa Horowitzsymbolism

This photograph of Slawa and her sister was taken a few months before Slawa and baby Eva left Vienna, in December 1938. They joined Karl in Switzerland. After leaving Europe, she did not see her sister again for 30 years – years which are documented in the many letters held by the Studio, sent over this time. In 1968 Slawa and Rella met one more time in Paris.This photograph documents the important relationship between Slawa Horowitz-Duldig and her sister Rella Horowitz, later Laisne. Rella assisted Slawa in the process of developing her invention of the modern foldable umbrella, and hid the family's artworks and furniture, designed by Slawa and the firm of Sigmund Jaray, in her apartment in Paris during the Second World War. It is of historical significance as it documents life in Vienna prior to the Second World War.

This photograph was taken by Karl Duldig when he and Slawa visited Slawa's sister Rella Laisne in Paris in 1968. They went to Paris as part of a world trip on the occasion of the unveiling of Karl's sculptural monument, Dawn, at the Maccabiah Village, Ram Gat, Israel. Commissioned by Hakoah and World Maccabi Union his monument commemorates the sportsmen and women of Hakoah Sports Club who were among the victims in the Holocaust. Karl had played for Hakoah in his youth. This is one of a large collection of photographs taken by sculptor Karl Duldig, documenting his art, life and family. The collection is of historical and aesthetic significance as a personal record of the work, cultural and social milieu of an Austro- Australian sculptor and his family from the early to late 20th century. it is also a record and representative of the experience of those people who came to Australia at this time, displaced by the upheavals of the Second World War.

Eltham Council (now the Shire of Nillumbik) commissioned this work in 1989 to create an entrance / gateway to Edendale Community Farm. It was also aided by a grant from the Ministry of the Arts (now Arts Victoria). The former name of this work was "Gateway to Edendale Farm". Edendale Farm is a demonstration farm modelling sustainable environmental practices, providing support to the local residents of Nillumbik. Established in 1986, the land was purchased in 1970. It was previously an English gentleman's residence and was used for grazing. It consists of 5.6 hectares, with the Diamond Creek meandering through the property. The Victorian Fences Act 1968 governs liability of occupiers of adjoining lands to fence, and deals with disputes between neighbours regarding boundaries fences and costs. This work took into consideration ideas and suggestions from residents and committees, who required the use of recycled materials and that the work celebrate man's relationship with nature, animals and the earth, as well as relate to the fence-line on the far side of the carpark. Trembath also absorbed significant aspects of local history, making references to Eltham's agricultural past, the clearing of the land, the destruction of trees, the ruthless pruning of trees by suburban Councils and incorporated such Australian features as the post and rail fence. 'The Fences Act 1968' is significant for aesthetic, historic and social reasons at a regional level. It makes prominent the historical and social significance of Edendale and the rural aspects of Nillumbik. The use of existing tree stumps and salt pots in the work explores the iconography of the countryside such as the isolated farmhouse, pioneering farming practices, post and rail fencing and the regrowth of lopped trees. The title of the work, as well as the extensive community involvement in its creation, also makes reference to the Victorian Fences Act 1968, which makes neighbours jointly responsible for the cost of construction and maintenance of fences in the partitioning of land for settlement. 'The Fences Act 1968' has been classified as of regional significance by the National Trust of Australia. The work is an installation of wood and metal, approximately twenty five meters long. The design is very informal and rustic and runs the full width of the fence-line. It comprises groups of recycled tree trunks fitted with metal caps (chrome-nickel 'salt pots' that are shaped like tall bowler / top hats). Metal rods protrude from the trunks and some of these rods have metal birds. Two larger, sentinel-like stumps at the two outer ends have metal flame-like wings, which bend inward. To the left of the entrance, a simple architectural element indicates an isolated farmhouse. The rustic fence runs between the groups of tree trunks with native planting in clumps along it. The fence-line incorporates a functional engineered double gate and post and rail fencing. There may be many interpretations of the work and the intention is to stimulate interest and imagination rather than alienate. Interpretation is based on the personal experience that a visitor brings. The artist recommended that no explanation of the design logic be positioned with the work. N/Apublic art, sculpture, edendale, recycled, wood, metal, fences act 1968, gate, trembath, salt pot, tree stumps

Alan Marshall was an author of more than fifteen books, and lived much of his life in Eltham. He became a central figure in the area's arts community of writers, artists, sculptors, film makers, actors and musicians. He is shown stroking a book to his heart, perched on a crutch, which references his disability (contracted polio when he was young), and his status as one of Australia's most successful and loved authors. His most famous book, 'I Can Jump Puddles' is based on his life story and the obstacles he faced as a child in trying to overcome his disability. Marcus Skipper submitted the idea for the work to the first 'Art in Public Places' Awards in 1990. The selectors at the time recommended that the work would be more suitably placed near the Eltham Library. It was commissioned and installed for the new Eltham Library, which was designed by Greg Burgess in 1994. It was partially funded by the then Shire of Eltham's Art Development Fund (Eltham Arts Council) and the rest donated by the artist Marcus Skipper. This work has significance for its reference to two well known names associated with Eltham and its history. The sculpture is a realistic statue of the famous Australian author Alan Marshall who wrote "I Can Jump Puddles". He lived and worked in the Shire. The artist Marcus Skipper represents a highly recognised family of artists associated with Monsalvat. The sculpture 'Alan marshall' has been classified as of regional significance by the National Trust of Australia. A realistic depiction (almost life size) of Alan Marshall cast in bronze with green patination. Dressed in a jumper and slacks, Marshall is shown perched on a crutch, holding a book to his heart, gesturing to his audience to come and listen to his words. alan marshall, bronze, skipper, i can jump puddles, eltham library, novalist, ekphrasis2017, figure, public art

Commissioned by Nillumbik Shire Council - 1997 The selection panel in the commissioning process to this 'extraordinary acquisition' was Rhonda Noble, Director of La Trobe University Museum of Art, Jeph Neale, Eltham Roundabout Advisory Group, Chris Marks, NSC Curator of Collections, Geoff Glynn, NSC Manager of Infrastructure Development.'Nest' highlights the indigenous flora and fauna of the Shire. The stiff, coarse grass used to create the nest is indigenous to the area and the eggs are like those of the spotted quail thrush, a ground-nesting bird of the Shire. The circular flow or placement of the eggs recalls the revolution of the seasons and nesting cycles. There is a tall light pole above the eggs, shining down at night. The effect is of a giant incubator. Enrichment and nurturing of the larger environment can be associated with this sculpture. This work resembles a large bird's nest, with three egg-like forms of fibreglass covered in a pebble render, set on sand. The nest is positioned within the paved boundary of the roundabout. The nest shape has been created out of stiff, coarse indigenous grass, periodically trimmed so the view is not obstructed. The eggs are a brown-speckled, creamy yellow colour. The three eggs are arranged in a ring, with the narrow end of each pointing to the large end of the next, in a circle that mimics the flow of traffic. N/Apublic art, nest, eggs, eltham, ekphrasis2017, mosaic, pebbles, roundabout, spotted quail thrush

1996 Nillumbik Art in Public Places Award (installed late 1997). A biennial program that ceased in 2007. The program commissioned artists to make and install public art in various sites around the Shire. Award judges that year were Tony Trembath and artist Peter D. Cole. Susie Kumar has a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture degree from RMIT and Naomi Kumar has a Bachelor of Fine Art in photography degree from VCA. The Kumar sisters designed the sixty meter gently curving bench in response to the topography of the site, Conventry Oval. The sculpture is designed to describe the boundary between the formal oval and the natural creek bank and a considered relationship to the bike track and the river. It forms a link between the activities and aesthetics of its environment. The work is a comical interpretation of the utilitarian public bench. From a distance the bright red runners (the colour of the local football team's stripe) appear to float about the surrounding green. One end of the work is straight and finished. The other remains 'unfinished' hence allowing for the concept of unlimited extension. The 'legs' (steel hurdles) are arranged with a sense of movement and rhythm in sympathy with the activities happening around the work and with the stands of trees in he background. 'Benchmark' also serves as a functional purpose; providing a choice of places to sit to watch action on the oval. Stainless steel, timber (Victorian Ash) and red enamel paint. Sixty meter long red bench that gently curves in response to Conventry Oval. Bolted on top of evenly spaced stainless steel hurdles, four rows of timber runners are joined to provide unbroken continuous lengths. The bench stands on a framed bed of crushed rock (Lilydale topping).N/Abench, sport, wood, victorian ash, stainless steel, public art, ekphrasis2017

ceramic (earthenware), glazes, music mechanismek prac 2015

Deborah Halpern was raised in Nth Warrandyte. Her connection to the area and the significant contribution that she and her family (founding members of Potters Cottage) have made to the artistic heritage and culture of the Shire is acknowledge with the commission of this piece. Deborah Halpern is a highly recognised and respected local artist with an acclaimed national reputation in the arts community. This work is a gateway piece, welcoming residents and visitors into the Shire from the southern end of the boundary. 'Queen of the Shire' reflects the creative spirit that flows endlessly in the Shire, inspired by the landscape. This work forms part of a series of sculptures that Halpern has created along the banks of the Yarra in Melbourne ('Angel' - Birrarung Marr and 'Ophelia' - Southgate). This sculpture is an excellent example of Halpern’s ouvere and 'tile construction' technique for which she is renowned. Materials: coloured glass tiles, fibreglass, aluminium, steel. A sweeping stylised (female) form covered in bright and colourful tiles held aloft by two steel poles. queen, sculpture, semi-abstract, stylised, glass, tiles, public art, halpern, ek prac 2015

The 'Black Saturday' bushfires were a series of bushfires that ignited across the Australian state of Victoria on and around Saturday, 7 February 2009. It was Australia's worst ever natural disaster. The fires occurred during extreme bushfire-weather conditions and resulted in Australia's highest ever loss of life from a bushfire: 173 people died and 414 were injured as a result of the fires.This work is by a local contemporary artist with a national and international reputation for figurative and portrait works. The 'Black Saturday' series is a powerful investigation of emotion and grief as experienced by many Nillumbik residents during the 2009 'Black Saturday' bushfires. A cluster of bronze figurines either stand alone or embrace in groups. Their expressions and gestures of despair are made more pertinent with the raw like application and surface treatment of the material used. The 'Black Saturday' series is a challenging work, but one that encourages healing, connection and empathy. Solitary male figure wearing a long hooded coat clutching his hands underneath his chin in shock. Surface treatment is textured. Dark metallic brown colour. Hand carved on base, back of figure '2/6 WEGNER 10'wegner, bronze, figurine, black saturday, sculpture

The 'Black Saturday' bushfires were a series of bushfires that ignited across the Australian state of Victoria on and around Saturday, 7 February 2009. It was Australia's worst ever natural disaster. The fires occurred during extreme bushfire-weather conditions and resulted in Australia's highest ever loss of life from a bushfire: 173 people died and 414 were injured as a result of the fires.This work is by a local contemporary artist with a national and international reputation for figurative and portrait works. The 'Black Saturday' series is a powerful investigation of emotion and grief as experienced by many Nillumbik residents during the 2009 'Black Saturday' bushfires. A cluster of bronze figurines either stand alone or embrace in groups. Their expressions and gestures of despair are made more pertinent with the raw like application and surface treatment of the material used. The 'Black Saturday' series is a challenging work, but one that encourages healing, connection and empathy. Three figures embrace in despair (two men, one woman). One throws his arms around the other two figures who are consoling each other in an emotional embrace. Surface treatment is textured . Metallic brown colour. 'WEGNER THE WAKE 1 AG205643'wegner, figurines, bronze, black saturday, sculpture

In the early 1970s, Arthur Boyd bought and restored a large, two-storey traditional farmhouse called Il Paretaio. Situated on the crest of a hill and surrounded by fields and olive groves, it is five kilometres from the village of Palaia in the province of Pisa, Tuscany. Boyd established this farmhouse as a residency programme, (which was later managed by the Australia Council). The residency program ended in 1990. Anthony Pryor undertook an Australia Council residency at Paretaio in 1984. This work is one in a series made during his time there. This work was entered into the Shire of Eltham Art Award in 1985.Pryor is an artist of national significance. This work is an example of his series of 'boxes' made principally for his own pleasure and often swapped with artists and other friends as soon as they were finished. The 'box' series was part inspired by Japanese techniques of wooden construction. Pryor first visited Japan in 1975 and was immediately drawn to Japanese methods of working with stone and wood. Many of these boxes are based upon the principles of the Japanese Zen Buddhist monk Sengai Gibon (1750-1838). This work relates to Sengai's famous hanging scroll Circle, Triangle and Square in which the circle can be read to stand for the cosmos, the square for the individual, and the triangle for aspiration. A heavy, box-like (cube) structure created from huon pine, with bronze, brass and stone elements. Within the cube is an eastern inspired, rear lattice wall in combination with bronze domestic fittings, and symbols (cube, pyramid and circle). Metal lightning, clouds and wooden rainbow hover over an asymmetrical bronze bed floating within the cube. A chair leans and a tilting ladder reaches towards the sky. Stamped into wood: lower right 'ANTHONY PRYOR PARETAIO'huon pine, pryor, brass, bronze, stone, cube, paretaio, italy, eastern, japan, sengai gibon, symbols, zen buddhism, sculpture, personal

This artwork was a finalist in the 1987 Shire of Eltham Art Awards. The materials Cowcher has chosen constitute different transformations of earth - stone, sand (fired into glass), bamboo and dried grass. The work is a sign of the artist's passion in working with these materials and 'packaging' them into an aesthetic composition that connect and dance with one another.Three purple glass objects in the form of pine cones, held together by raffia, resting on a large slab of white stone. N/A