Ron Mueck

Ron Mueck is an Australian artist whose sculptures realistically replicate every detail of the human body, but he exaggerates scale to create incredibly striking visual images. With no formal art training, Mueck is self taught and honed his skills in the world of model making, special effects, and animatronics. He has since moved into the fine arts and has started creating silicon or fiberglass and acrylic sculptures cast from clay models. I noticed that his work is focused around different stages in life; encompassing birth, youth, middle age, the elderly, and death. Nearly all of his pieces are of human subjects and they’re all in an unexpected scale. His style is very specific in that respect and I find it incredibly fascinating how he constructs these larger than life sculptures.

Mask II, 2002, Mixed media; 30 3/8 x 46 1/2 x 33 1/2 in.

With a heavy emphasis placed on realism, Mueck pays attention to every minute detail in his work. Viewers feel compelled to come closer and examine the hair, veins, and even blemishes on his pieces. He even went so far as to use his own hair in one of his sculptures entitled “Dead Dad”, a one half size replica of his deceased father’s corpse. The piece that originally caught my eye and excited me to learn more about Mueck was his piece entitled “Mask II”, a larger than life view of his sleeping head lying on its side. The naturalism completely blew me away, and then when I saw a picture that put its size into perspective I was even more impressed. The level of time and attention to detail it must take to make a piece like that is phenomenal.

Untitled (Big Man), 2000.
Pigmented polyester resin on fiberglass, 81 x 46.25 x 82.25 in.

Pregnant Woman, 2002.Pigmented polyester resin on fiberglass, 252 cm. high.