Kudirka gifts Australian Doctor his artwork

 Our 28 February post about artist Algirdas Kudirka, 1915–1980, caught the eye of Beth Robertson in Adelaide, who has shared this photograph and information.

This poker work ‘Australia’ by Algirdas Kudirka has had pride of place in our family home for 60 years. It is dedicated to my father ‘Dr. S. Robertson’,  Thorburn Stirling Brailsford Robertson, 1925–1966.
 
My father was a doctor who achieved sobriety after being admitted to Northfield Mental Hospital (later Hillcrest Hospital) in 1960 as a certified patient for alcohol and drug addiction. He came under the treatment of Dr Bill Salter, whose therapeutic approach included an Alcoholics Anonymous group at the hospital. Dr Salter supported my father’s appointment as a medical officer and he worked with addicts and AA groups at both Hillcrest and Yatala for the six years until his death aged 40. He was known as ‘Doc Robbie’ to most people.
 
My late mother told us that the artist was one of our father’s patients. I understand that Algirdas Kudirka is remembered as suffering from alcoholism. With the poker work dated 1963, he was probably a patient at Hillcrest Hospital at that time.
 
The poker work’s dimensions are 63cm x 50.5cm x 1cm. It is very striking with the adoption of Aboriginal motifs, the curious shaping of the continent of Australia (with the artist’s name worked into Tasmania) and the inversion of fishes over the landmass.
 

I would love to know whether anyone in the Lithuanian community has knowledge of Algirdas Kudirka’s time/s at Hillcrest (or Yatala). This could be by commenting on this post or sending me information privately via Daina. It could add to the story of the artwork as well as my father’s legacy.

The songs my father sang

Paulius Rutenis (Rutkauskas)

19 March 1919 – 28 August 1983

Singer, soloist, actor, director, journalist.

A man who was seen on and off stage in Adelaide, Melbourne and later Sydney.

He was born in Liepaja, Latvia, to Lithuanian parents who travelled there to work.  When he was around three years old, the family returned to Lithuania.  His father loved to sing and would encourage the whole family to sing together.  They would open the windows and hear the applause from their neighbours.  His father was tenor, his brother was a strong bass, his mother an alto and sister soprano, in a word, a full choir.  Friends, all singers would gather and sing, Lithuanian folk songs in their home.

 Paulius finished Kaunas Aušros boys school and then studied at Vytautas Didžiojo University.  He became a soloist with the Kaunas National theatre.  In 1943 he moved to Vienna where he studied at the Theatre Wissenshaft, then the following year moved to Austria where he joined the Innsbruck Opera. He then moved to Stuttgart where he sang on radio and would perform for Lithuanians in Displaced Persons Camps.  He was able to sing in five languages.

 Migrating to Australia, he arrived in Adelaide having traveled on the General Black on 3 June 1948.  He was sent to work on the railways at Peterborough, South Australia.  While in Peterborough he gave a concert at the Peterborough Town Hall with two other Baltic artists, a classical ballet dancer from the Berlin Wintergarten, Borys Schinkow, and Stasys Liaksas, piano  accordionist formerly of the American Army Officers' Club band.

 He actively involved himself in the Adelaide Lithuanian community and local music scene.  He could often be heard singing on the radio.  He organised the Lithuanian theatre group, where he acted and directed numerous plays.  He studied at the University of Adelaide for two years, leaving to move to Melbourne.  From 1966 he joined the Australian Opera where he had minor roles and sang in the Opera Choir. He retired in 1981.

In 1977 he moved to Sydney and joined the Sydney theatre group, Atžala where he acted and directed plays.  Shortly before his death, he formed the Sydney Lithuanian women’s ensemble Sutartinė. He commenced teaching them the songs he had learnt as a child from his father, long forgotten folk songs.

References

Australijos Lietuvis December 6^th 1948 Nr.7

The Argus Thu 17 Jun 1948, page 3,  Three Baltic artists to give concert