Week 3- Ron Mueck's sculpture and Humanism

Mask II (2002) Ron Mueck

 

A girl (2006) Ron Mueck

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

Hyper-real is used in the art to denote the activity of a group of artists who made paintings that "look just like photographs". This all happened in the late sixties, early seventies. And one can imagine the reaction of the populace and especially art critics, who were just used to the fact the works of Jackson Pollock could be called "masterpieces". Mueck's artworks are very realistic just like a photograph and even more detailed.

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.

All Mueck's sculptures are larger than life—from the gargantuan newborn baby (A Girl) to the platter-sized Spooning Couple. While it may be difficult to look at these pieces for long without feeling like an intruder, the pieces evoke sympathy and politely allow viewers to come and go as they wish. Suffocating under the dizzying size shifts of the sculptures, it is easy to seek some sense of what is real after viewing Mueck’s work.Because while Mueck enjoys playing with scale, he is content with the statement, “Bigger (and Smaller) Is.” Mueck does not pass judgment on whether the people he sculpted are worthy of their size and he doesn’t invite the viewer to either. He doesn’t create large sculptures to scream his message. He doesn’t create small sculptures to bring you in closer. He is content for his subjects to simply be. 

The big one

The small one

 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 the term generally applied to the predominant social philosophy and intellectual and literary currents of the period from 1400 to 1650. Expansion of trade, growth of prosperity and luxury, and widening social contacts generated interest in worldly pleasures, in spite of formal allegiance to ascetic Christian doctrine. Men thus affected -- the humanists -- welcomed classical writers who revealed similar social values and secular attitudes. 

 

 Mueck's work is a show of humanism and most of his works are nude men and woman or babies. I think he made them nude is to show the true identity of human nature and that we can see the emotions and every detail of his human art work.

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. 

Two Women, 2005. Mixed media, 33 1/2 x 18 7/8 x 15 in. (85.1 x 47.9 x 38.1 cm). Glenn Fuhrman Collection, New York

I think all Mueck's works are challenging and exciting because I have never seen any sculptures that is so realistic and kind of creepy. The two women is made out of polyester resin, fibreglass, silicone, aluminium wire, steel, wool, cotton, nylon, synthetic hair, plastic and metal. I think it is very hard to accomplish this kind of success and Mueck must have worked really hard to complete one sculpture let alone two. I really admire his work and envy his talent. The two women's gesture and emotions are very realistic and detailed.I think it's even more real than some people in reality. 

 Hyper-Realism 

http://www.dgp.toronto.edu/~stam/suomi/stam/hyperreal.html

Renaissance Humanism

http://www.historyguide.org/intellect/humanism.html

brooklyn museum
http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/exhibitions/ron_mueck/

artworks

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/artworks/galleries/2010/2807818/Dg100520.htm