Klippel, Robert (1920- ), Australian sculptor, whose skillfully crafted metal assemblages earned him a reputation as one of Australia's premier contemporary sculptors. He was born in Sydney, and his early interest in sculpture was limited to making model ships.

He trained to work in the wool industry but in 1939 he joined the Royal Australian Navy and spent the years during World War II (1939-1945) constructing model aircraft and ships for the purpose of military instruction in enemy craft recognition. After the war he studied sculpture at East Sydney Technical College in Sydney. In 1947 he went to London, England, where he studied briefly at the Slade School of Art. He continued his studies informally in Paris, returning to Australia in 1950. From 1957 to 1967 he visited the United States, teaching sculpture at the Minneapolis School of Arts in Minnesota. He then returned to Sydney, where he has since lived and worked.

Klippel's early work alternated between figurative and nonfigurative sculpture. During the 1950s he moved toward a more austere abstract style and incorporated into his work rods and thin metal sheets. He later introduced pieces of scrap metal to create so-called junk sculptures, important primarily for their shape rather than as a sociological comment on the age. He also has created works in plaster, bronze, and wood.