Bert Flugelman is an Australian sculptor known for his large public stainless steel works. He was born in Vienna but immigrated to Australia at age 15, where he later contracted polio leaving him with limited use of one arm and leg. Some of his most notable sculptures include Cones, Spheres, The Hargraves Memorial, and Tetrapus. He finds inspiration in geometry and accidental happenings, and enjoys interacting with the public, especially children, on his interactive sculptures.

1. BERT FLUGELMAN CONTEMPORY ARTIST

2. FOUR FAST FACTS...

3. #1 He is an Australian painter and sculpture most recognised for his large stainless steel public works.

4. #2 He was born in Vienna and migrated to Australia when he was 15 where he worked as a jackaroo before joining the Army.

5. #3 He contracted polio at the age of 29, while travelling overseas. This left him without the use of one arm and most of one leg.

6. #4 Some of his most notable works include Cones, Spheres, The Hargraves Memorial and Tetrapus.

7. CONES 1976-1982, STAINLESS STEEL SPHERES 1977, STAINLESS STEEL THE HARGRAVE MEMORIAL 1988, STAINLESS STEEL TETRAPUS 2007, STAINLESS STEEL

8. IN HIS OWN WORDS...

9. WHY HE DOES WHAT HE DOES...

10. ... “I like making things...it has become a habit... that is how I start work on a sculpture, I think that is the way It should be. Three dimensional things make sense to me.”

11. THE NATURE OF HIS SCULPTURES...

12. ... “They are not random works, but all are related by geometry. My work is produced in a framework of discipline which relates one work to another so that there is a coherence with what has gone before.”

13. INTERACTION WITH HIS PUBLIC WORKS...

14. ... “What pleases me most is that kids have a great time with them. Families sit on them for photos.”

15. PEOPLE’S REACTION TO HIS PUBLIC WORKS...

16. ... “Watching them from a shopfront I saw an old lady looking at it, then she took out her hanky and started polishing it and I thought – that’s about as good as it gets.”

17. CONFIDENCE AS AN ARTIST...

18. ... “I make things because it occurs to me, then hope that other people see what I see and want it.”

19. FINDING INSPIRATION

20. ... “You have to be an opportunist, whatever you see you grab. But, you have to stay alert all the time, watching very closely, taking advantage of accidental happenings.”

21. EMILY MCCORMICK 3465482