A Trip Into Lutzotto’s Mind
When I visited Lutzotto’s studio for the first time, I came across something pleasing for a Virgo punk rocker: organised chaos. A small house/art studio smartly positioned and built with recycled and reused materials in one of the most special places in the Coromandel region: the Blue Fridge Valley. Lutz is surrounded by nature. Silence is present and perceived while his artwork yells out loud, attracting your attention – colours, forms, ideas, love and anger; all there. Lutz, a German-born artist, talks about his craft with confidence and purpose but also knows how to leave room for the audience’s interpretation.
In 1981, Lutz left his home country, embarking on a new chapter of his life by immigrating to Kūaotunu with his partner and young son, hoping to immerse himself in the realm of freelance artistry. “My goal was to find new avenues of expression, much like artists such as Hundertwasser, who left a profound impact on New Zealand’s artistic landscape,” he reflects. (Hundertwasser was an Austrian artist and ecological activist who proposed and designed a new flag for New Zealand in 1983 which incorporated the image of a koru – a spiral shape based on the appearance of a new unfurling silver fern frond.)
Lutz’s artistic journey began with a deep dive into traditional crafts, including the intricate art of stained glass windows and stoneware pottery, rooted in the Bauhaus tradition of harmoniously blending form and function. “Pottery became my bread and butter,” he shares. “I taught it for years and participated in markets and exhibitions, infusing my creativity into everyday life.”
In the late ’90s, Lutz’s creative evolution took a turn during his time in Wellington. From 1996 to 2000, he integrated photography into his mixed-media approach, particularly focusing on exposed images – actual photos printed on photo paper without digital alterations. “I used these unaltered images as the foundation of my work,” Lutz explains.
“Usually, I took three shots in short succession, cut and reassembled them into a new image.
I then transferred this created image onto canvas, and if it had less of a story, I would use acrylic paint to enhance its form and content.
Sometimes I would use material mixed into paint like sand, coffee ground, wine, saliva, or sweat to push direction. A smart move is to leave the unfinished work on the easel for a day or two and attack with a fresh mind and motive.”
Lutz’s unique background – transitioning from Germany to New Zealand – has infused his art with a sense of assimilation and expression. “Assimilation was and is a lifelong process,” he reflects.
“My language skills were poor on arrival, so producing art became my way of meaningful expression.”
Encountering prejudices and suspicions in the small village of Kūaotunu, Lutz found that art was his pathway to acceptance and a medium to communicate personality and opinion.
In New Zealand, he participated in Northland Quarry Clay Courses with notable artists like Mirek Smisek, Richard Parker and Peter Alger, which helped him find his true calling. His studies in social economics and psychology in Germany enabled him to organise his studio in a way that other artists and craftspeople could learn from. “For many years, I have been an educationalist and influencer, and my studio was and still is a perfect exhibition place for many,” he says.
Living and learning in Germany for 30 years gave Lutz the confidence and initiative to apply his unique teaching and artistic execution methods. As an artist in the Coromandel, he feels a responsibility and motivation to communicate his opinions, thoughts and inspirations to all who are interested, believing that a foreign perspective promotes curiosity. “My work aims to evoke emotions and provoke thought,” Lutz remarks. “Every element – the form, colour, lines – creates a message and elicits feelings.”
Lutz shared his passion for ceramics and artistry with eager students at his Try Fluke Studio, whose name was inspired by a significant gold mine close to Kūaotunu late in the 19th century.
He recalls, “The students I had were usually very impressed and receptive; some were young and thankful for advice, and some became lifelong friends.” Participants often attended weekly for months or even years, learning sculpting, glazing, and firing the gas kiln.
Lutz also ran classes in candle making, glass cutting, and collage. “I aimed to enhance the confidence and creativity of my students, emphasising the process over the outcome.”
When asked about infusing political themes into his art and what messages or ideas he aims to convey through those pieces, Lutz does not hesitate:
“Producing art is a social and, therefore, politically motivated activity. It infuses opinion and ideas with the goal of changing social behaviour and encouraging communication between people (souls) to promote peace, understanding and, eventually, reaching love as a behaviour or even an attitude.”
Looking ahead, Lutz envisions new horizons, from writing a book and creating large-scale canvases to collaborating on musical projects and promoting bushcraft and survival skills among young learners.
Lutz’s studio is currently open to visitors by appointment. “I enjoy engaging in art-related discussions and sharing my creative space with others,” Lutz says. “It’s a platform to showcase my work and connect with fellow art enthusiasts.”
He is working on a large canvas at the moment and getting ready for the upcoming 10 Artists exhibition, which will take place in Kuaotunu on the 25th of January, as well as the Mercury Bay Art Escape in March 2025. And if you are in the area during Labour Weekend, make sure to stop by Kua Kawhe in Kuaotunu, where Lutz is displaying some of his work.
You can contact Lutz and book a visit to his studio at: tryfluke@xtra.co.nz or 07 8665371
Words by Leonardo Magri
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