Ludwig Hirschfeld Mack b. 1893

  • Artist (Printmaker),
  • Artist (Painter),
  • Artist (Theatre / Film Designer)
German Bauhaus artist whose diverse modernist practice reflects the upheaval of the second World War, when he was deported to Australia, but continued to practice and teach after his release in Victoria.
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painter and printmaker, was born in Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany. After a voluntary and brief period of military service in 1912, he studied art at the Wilhelm Debschitz Art School in Munich and art history under Heinrich Woefflin at Munich University (1912-14). Conscripted during WWI, he was awarded the Iron Cross after four and a half years’ service. Then he returned to his art studies, studying with Prof. Holzel at Stuttgart Academy (1918-19) where he concentrated on colour theory. He met Oskar Schlemmer there; when the Bauhaus opened at Weimar he and Schlemmer joined it as students under Johannes Itten. He experimented with colour theory as related to music and worked in the print shop. His work was included in 'Bauhaus 1919-1925’ at MOMA (NY) in 1938.

Hirschfeld-Mack left the Bauhaus when it moved to Dessau, joining the Free School Community in Thuringia in 1926. Later he was professor of Art and Craft at the State Teaching Training Academy until it was closed by the Nazis in 1932. Being both Jewish and a modernist, he moved to London. There he became involved in art education and in stage and display lighting. When war broke out he was interned as an alien, then deported. He finally arrived in Australia in 1940 as a Dunera internee and was sent to a camp at Hay, then to Orange and later to Tatura. At the last, a small art community was formed and Mack began to make prints, including Internment Camp . In March 1942 he was released on appeal from the head of Geelong Grammar School, who appointed him art master. He taught at Geelong until 1957; Gropius visited him there after WWII.

Did small Klee like paintings and monotypes as well as graphics (TMAG has set of late monotypes). He lived in Melbourne after he retired, where he was involved with the European community and with teaching Bauhaus ideals at MU and in Adult Education courses. He died in 1965. Nicholas Draffin exhibited his work with Lyonel Feininger’s in 1974 and a solo memorial exhibition was held at Melbourne University Gallery in 1981.

Writers:
Staff Writer
Date written:
1996
Last updated:
2007

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References [<ExternalResource: University of Melbourne Archives, 'Ludwig Hirschfeld-Mack Collection'.>, <ExternalResource: Draffin, Nicholas (1974), 'Two Masters of the Weimar Bauhaus - Lyonel Feininger and L. Hirschfeld-Mack', Catalogue, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW.>, <ExternalResource: McCulloch, A. (1984), 'Encyclopedia of Australian Art', Melbourne, Vic (Second edition).>, <ExternalResource: Merewether, Charles (1984), 'Art and Social Commitment', Sydney, NSW : Art Gallery of New South Wales.>, <ExternalResource: Thomas, Daniel & Radford, Ron (1988), 'The Great Australian Art Exhibition', CAT.>, <ExternalResource: (1981), Catalogue, University of Melbourne, Victoria.>, <ExternalResource: (1997), 'The Expatriates', National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Vic.>] [<ExternalResource: University of Melbourne Archives, 'Ludwig Hirschfeld-Mack Collection'.>]