Intuitive Drawing - Robert Klippel

Untitled, Robert Klippel, 1953.

The exhibition showcased Australian artist Robert Klippel’s abstract sculptures and drawings, emphasizing his intuitive, process-led approach. Klippel began by splattering ink onto paper and responding to the accidental marks, allowing forms to emerge naturally. These spontaneous drawings became the foundation for his sculptures, revealing how art can evolve through chance and intuition rather than strict design.

Klippel’s method has deeply influenced my practice. I used to rely on detailed planning and visualization before creating, but by adopting his approach of splattering ink and responding to the marks, I discovered unconscious expressions of microscopic and neurological forms that repeatedly surfaced in my drawings. I later extended this process with colored pencils, whose soft, felt-like texture connects to my material use of felting. These drawings now inform the forms of my sculptures.

Working through a process-led framework, I let the act of making guide the work. The repetitive gestures of felting, stitching, and layering become meditative and healing, allowing meaning to emerge not just from concept, but from the tactile, emotional unfolding of the process itself.

National Gallery of Victoria. “Robert Klippel: The Language of Forms.” National Gallery of Victoria (website), 2024. Accessed October 12, 2025. https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/exhibition/robert-klippel/