Arthur Fleischmann

Arthur Fleischmann was born in Bratislava in 1896, but lived most of his life in London.

He studied medicine in Budapest and Prague and qualified as a medical doctor. Immediately after qualifying, he turned his attention and energy to sculpture and was awarded a scholarship to the Master School of Sculpture, Vienna.

In 1937 he left Europe for South Africa where he exhibited before traveling to Indonesia. He spent 2 idyllic years on the island of Bali.

In 1939 he moved to Sydney where he stayed for 10 years, helping found the Merioola artist commune and establishing a connection with Australia that remained strong until his death in 1990.

In 1949 he traveled by ship to England with plans to return to Bratislava, but he never completed the journey and made London his home for over 40 years.

Fleischmann quickly established himself as a portrait sculptor in London, completing portrait busts of Popes Pius XII, John XXIII, Paul VI and John Paul II from life.

During the 1950's he pioneered the use of Perspex as a sculptural medium. He began by carving figural subjects from laminated blocks, developing the tools and techniques by trial and error.

In the 1960's he constructed more abstract forms, building them up in horizontal layers from the "raw" sheets. He introduced water as an integral element of the sculptures adding a flesh to the skeleton of Perspex and creating the final living form of the sculptures.

Central to Fleischmann's work was his devotion to the Catholic Church. A major part of his creative output was of a religious theme. When, in June 1986, he celebrated his 90th birthday, he declared, "I like to think I am a traveling sculptor absorbing every new idea. I don't know the meaning of routine. Every day holds surprises".

Fleischmann's last work completed before his death is a Perspex water sculpture entitled "Tribute to the Discovery of DNA", which was placed in the new wing of the NSW State Library, Sydney, Australia, almost 50 years after he completed the bronze doors in the same building. It combines his complementary passions of art and science.

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