Patrick, J, Organic Furniture, Craft Arts, May/July 1986, pp. 36-40

The surprisingly functional mythological designs of Helmut Lueckenhausen combine old woodworking traditions with modern high-tech processes and materials.

WOOD is one of the most ancient materials used by man. Traditionally, the means for its use have derived from the quality of wood itself; its grain, texture, colour and form. Helmut Lueckenhausen is a direct contrast to tradition. That he works in wood is purely inci¬dental; what matters to him is that it acts as a medium for his designs. Indeed, those of us who have seen his work develop recognise that more modern materials are now entering his repertoire. However, wood remains the basic essential from which he produces objects that stand the test of time. To this end it is essential for him to understand his material, as it establishes clear parameters to work within and demands total respect. How then did his work in wood originate?

Lueckenhausen's training was in industrial design where his objectives were to design commodities that were both marketable and functional. This technical background, augmented by some pattern-making and furniture construction skills, and combined with his teaching of sculpture, initiated his move toward producing furniture — if that is what we may call it — of a sculptural quality. Here there is no link to any period or mood or style, rather a tenuous link to the Australian bush — in itself timeless — and to its maker's personality.

A link to the Australian bush is not only tenuous but also becomes more distant as Lueckenhausen's creativity as a sculptor matures. As a starting point this was perhaps inevitable. Post-graduate study at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology involved seeking sources of design for students beginning their arts studies. Nature, as a designer, provided an answer. One such source was the seed of the jacaranda tree, not specifically Australian though frequently grown here. This, combined with the function derived fom traditional furniture, provided initial directions. The movement away from seeds and the stylisation of the furniture has been a continuing process; firstly, the pod-like furniture became more abstract and then developed animal characteristics. Lueckenhausen's personality permeates these earlier pieces, for there is about them a rather whimsical and humorous quality.

Discussing the trends that have taken place in his creations, Lueckenhausen admits to almost incidental considerations affecting his conscious decisions. The barrier between conscious effort and fortuitousness erodes so that all creative effort becomes purposeful. The outcome of this, apparent to observers of Lueckenhausen's work, has been a gradual transition from botanical to zoological characteristics. However, where the botanical elements stemmed from genuine botanical sources, the animals are totally mythological, possibly representing Teraphim, the household gods.

One of Lueckenhausen's more recent commissions has been for Australian Consolidated Industries Limited (ACI) who sought an art piece reflecting the diverse range of their products. Whereas craftsmen are often oriented
toward materials and techniques, Lueckenhausen's work is design-based. He was happily led from the relatively low technology of native timber to the industrial technology of ACI's products. These gave an opportunity to incorporate colour for the first time by using catalysed enamels and plastic laminates. As always, Lueckenhausen's approach to this was thoroughly researched. Where his pieces may hint at Egyptian or Phoenician forms it was to South American culture that he looked for colour influences. The result is that the meld of traditional materials and high technology is reinforced through the adaptation of historical sources to Contemporary colour.

The expansion of the range of materials used by Lueckenhausen has allowed him to enlarge the scope of his designs by drawing on the expertise of others. After all, he sees himself as a designer first and, though he still undertakes much of the work himself, he now has access to more technical equipment and processes which extend his creative range. He is becoming less restricted by technical limitations.
His basic resource is timber and it is this that controls the methods of his working. His techniques are an amalgam of sculpture and furniture making. The curvilinear shapes of his pieces demand a large component of handcarving and hand-finishing and, no matter how often industrial processes are used, this will remain the basis of his work. So long as he can identify what he wishes to be done he can attain his design objectives with the help of others.

He likens this process to the artist's workshop of the past. Benefits go far beyond the more obvious ones. Firstly, and most importantly, it brings art back into society from an aloofness it has developed. Many of the modern materials Lueckenhausen is now using can be understood by a wider audience. Secondly, the use of assistants with broader expertise in certain areas, opens up new channels for his inventiveness, channels which, without this assistance, would have remained closed. Thus, sharing creativeness is clearly expanding rather than limiting.

Possibly, it is this broadness of view which brings Lueckenhausen to his desire to work with interior designers and architects. There is, he sees, an immense potential for the contrast between his mythological organic forms and the rigid geometry of buildings. In some ways this echoes Lueckenhausen's work, where flowing organic forms are in direct juxtaposition with mechanical, industrial forms.

This is an area for future exploration and one that he will certainly follow. His dedication and inventiveness ensure this, but more — he has an inner striving for greater achievement. This is part of a conscious effort to produce and in turn satisfy a need for self-fulfilment. Lueckenhausen is a teacher who enjoys his educational role; his production of sculptural pieces is seen as a continuous validation of his teaching, while providing a constant source of inspiration and new intellectual challenges.

No matter what direction his work follows, those who have witnessed his past development view the next 10 years with considerable interest. There is no doubt that his "sculptural furniture" will continue to raise a smile while reaching to us all as a meeting-place of the oldest traditions in wood with our modern high-tech processes and materials.