Week 4 - Humanism and contemporary sculpture.

 Ron Mueck's sculpture and Humanism

Mask II (2002) Ron Mueck

A girl (2006) 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 explain how it is evident in his work.

Hyper-real, or most specifically in term of Mueck’s work Hyperrealism, is a form of visual arts genre, where painting and sculpture are resembles more as high resolution photograph. Considered advancement to Photorealism (painting that appears photographic) due to the method used to create the resulting painting and sculpture, the term was developed during the early 2000s in United States and Europe. The genre of art is clearly shown on Ron Mueck's sculpture due to how he reproduce and replicates a very high detail of the human body with unrivalled technical skills in every aspect of his recent works, most specifically the facial feature and body structure that appears as real life models.

2. Mueck says he 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.

The reason why he is more interested with scales not of life size is that he is trying to demonstrate his ideas of mental and psychological aspects that humans experiences, allowing not just the universal experience shown the subject like life or death, but of emotional states such a fear, isolation and insignificances. Of all the 13 works that was shown during the Christchurch exhibition, not once was any considered life size. All were either larger or smaller, and 2 of the works that show these in particular were the Wild Man, and 10 feet high naked beard man in his seated position, and the two women, a 1 foot high sculpture of 2 old women, most likely sisters.

3. Define Renaissance Humanism, and identify which aspects of Humanism can be seen in Mueck's work. Note that the contemporary definition of Humanism is much broader than the Renaissance definition.

Renaissance humanism was a social philosophy adapted from the ideas of humanism and engaged by scholars, writer and civil leaders to help create a citizenry that allowed people to speak and write with clarity based on self interest rather than be trained in strict practices and works approved only by the church. Developed during the fourteenth and fifteenth century, this activity was created to help respond to the challenge of ideas of scholasticism from medieval education or any other form of religious practice. The aspects of Mueck’s work that helps show this philosophy can be seen in both the work itself and what it tries to represent, where the emotional context which is the main idea that it tries to express, shows more of the interest of the human self in relation to the broader definition of humanism, while the details of the work in terms of near flawless detail of human facial features shows how much the artist focus all his efforts on the subject, showing more interest in the subject as well.

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.

The one work which I believe would be challenging to experience if I were to ever go to in the art gallery is the Pregnant Woman. The reason for this choice is due to expression of pain and agony she is experiencing while in labor, in other words it was just very uncomfortable to look at. The large size and realism of the structure just helps in naturally communicating the pain and suffering she feel as she is carrying the baby during her pregnancy (despite not being a female). Her facial features were able to help show both her uncomfortable state while at the same time show solace in the knowledge that the pain will be over soon.

·         http://esmaholden.suite101.com/four-reasons-to-visit-a-ron-mueck-exhibition-a333516

·         http://scopepress.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=135:for-ron-mueck-bigger-and-smaller-is&catid=39:feature-articles

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

·         http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU1002/S00173.htm