ron_mueck

Ron Mueck has become internationally recognized for his unique sculptures, which replicate the human figure with unrivalled technical skill. His work has a powerful psychological range, focusing not only on universal experiences like birth, life and death but on emotional states such as isolation, fear and tenderness. His startling manipulations of scale are key to our experience of each work.

Mueck's work showed at the Christchurch Art Gallery from the end of 2010 through to January 2011. Research Mueck's sculpture in order to answer the following questions;



1. Mueck's sculpture is described as 'hyper-real'. Define the meaning of this term and apply it to his work.

Hyper-real, the exaggeration in comparison to reality. (www.dictionary.com) which I think Mueck demonstrates with his oversized, models that produce the diminutive detail of the human body, but play with scale to create his confusingly immaculate sculptures which are adored world-wide.

2. Mueck is not interested in making life size sculpture. Find out why he is more interested in working with the scale of the figure which is not life size, and mention 2 works which use Scale that is either larger or smaller than life.

In reality, whenever something extra large or extra small is presented, it seems to draw more attention as would something normal sized. Demonstrated in his work, “Boy” and “couple”, these two pieces were of different scale but drew perpetual attention to his shows. “Mueck's huge 4.5m crouching Boy was the centerpiece of the Millennium Dome in London and of the Venice Biennale in 2001.” (http://www.oddee.com/item_95063.aspx)

3. Define Renaissance Humanism, and analyze the term in order to apply it to an example of Mueck's work. Note that the contemporary definition of Humanism is much broader than the Renaissance definition.

Humanism is a system thought that considers human beings rather than the church, as able to decide their own morals, truths and behaviors. (Resource book) Associated in his work, is the truth of how humans really look. With the precise detail, it shows all imperfection society edits so that the cover girl of next month’s subscription to Vogue is stick-skinny. With Mueck’s work, it makes the birth of a baby seem disgusting, rather than how many would describe as cute. Despite the scale, Mueck makes nothing but the truth, and makes everything as he sees it. And with the attention-seeking scale, it is not hard to get the message across.

4. Research and discuss one of Mueck's sculptures that you might find challenging or exciting to experience in an art gallery. Describe the work, upload an image of the work, and explain your personal response to the work. Comment on other student blogs to develop the discussion around the variety of our own personal and individual responses to art and design.

“Boy”, a 4.5m sculpture of a boy crouching, semi-naked with his eyes staring with mere innocence. Despite his palms being slightly out of proportion, visual pleasure and amazement is witnessed. Not only did this piece challenge my thoughts as to how he’d put it together but also why it was his eyes were doodling to the left. The way his mouth is covered by his arms and how his eyes are staring at me, it gave me the impression of innocence but then quiet-manipulative at the same time. Gollum-like (from Lord of the Rings) having a sculpture like this in a gallery will change the atmosphere in a good way and change the way people look at little boys.

Reference List

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/816457/ron_mueck_australian_hyperrealist_sculptor/

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/816457/ron_mueck_australian_hyperrealist_sculptor/?fb_xd_fragment#?=&cb=f13f91dcb851e17&relation=parent.parent&transport=fragment&type=resize&height=611&ackData[id]=1

christchurchartgallery.org.nz/exhibitions/ron-mueck/

(http://www.oddee.com/item_95063.aspx)

http://www.chilloutpoint.com/featured/ron-muech-hyper-realist-sculptor.html