Week 3- Ron Mueck's sculpture and Humanism

A girl (2006) Ron Mueck

Mask II (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-realism is a genre of painting and sculpture resembling a high-resolution photograph. Hyper-real paintings and sculptures are not strict interpretations of photographs, nor are they literal illustrations of a particular scene or subject. Instead, they utilize additional, often subtle, pictorial elements to create the illusion of reality" ("Amazing Hyper-Realist Still Life Painters", 2010).

Mueck’s work is described as hyper-real as his sculptures are realistic to the most minor detail (as seen in the above images). Many of his works take months to create- each vein, blemish and hair is painstakingly added to make the figures barely separable from real life forms. The attention to details of the human form create an overall, ‘hyper real’ effect - incredible realism not seen in conventional sculpture. This realism in his work is absolute with the exception of alterations on scale. His works are “life like but not life size” ("Life Like, Mueck and Salmon",2011).

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.

As Mueck himself states, works with altered scale “makes you take notice in a way that you wouldn’t do with something that’s just normal” (Tangy, 2003).

Mueck’s sculpture, Dead Dad is an intriguing example of how his use of scale assists in conveying themes in his work. The three foot long sculpture is a depiction of the artists dead father lying on the floor. The alteration of scale has an emotional impact on the viewer in a way which real scale would not. Fathers, so often seen as powerful, monumental figures is challenged in the piece. The work humanises his father by shrinking him to the size of a child.

On the other hand the sculpture, Crouching Boy is 5 metres tall. The sculpture towers over the viewer, yet the boy is hunched over in a protective, almost fearful manner creating an interesting juxtaposition.

Mueck is not interested in making life sized sculptures because, as these two examples show, manipulating the scale helps to create a "profound psychological effect on the viewer",("Ron Mueck The Most Realistic Sculpture Part 1", 2007).

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.

"Renaissance Humanism is a system of thought that considers human beings, rather than the church, as able to decide their own morals, truths and behaviours", (p54 ALVC resource book). Prior to spread of humanistic beliefs, realism in art was considered controversial. Any paintings or sculptures created were required to be idealised in order to be accepted by the church. The change in societies attitude towards art during the renaissance period prompted the acceptance of humanism.

While the renaissance definition of humanism is less relevant in the modern day, the contemporary term is still very significant. Muecks work is humanistic in that it presents life in an ultra realistic way which confronts the viewer and encourages them to consider our own morals, truths and behaviours through the work.  Muecks work ‘pregnant woman’ is humanistic, commenting on issues of motherhood, referencing the strength of pregnant women and the importance of their role in life and our world.

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.

Two Women (2005) Ron Mueck

Two Women is Mueck’s work that I would most like to see up close in an art gallery.

The work, in miniature scale, depicts two elderly women standing, wearing long overcoats. In the piece Mueck has displayed unrivalled attentiveness detail.

I think this work is the embodiment of hyper realism- the way that Mueck has created the elderly women; their wrinkles, complexion, hair, posture and expressions is so incredibly realistic that it would be fascinating to observe up close in a gallery. The piece even captures a certain unidentifiable quality in the women’s demeanours - the work is  a mesmeric example of hyper realism and Muecks skill as an artist.

Reference List

Amazing Hyper-realist still life painters (2010, July).

     www.recave.com/2010/07/amazing-hyper-realist-still-life-painter/

AUT University (2011) Academic Literacies In Visual Communication 1. (pp.54) Auckland, NZ


Life Like, Mueck and Salmon (2011, March).

     www.soft-water.blogspot.com/2011/03/life-like-mueck-and-salmon.html

Ron Mueck The Most Realistic Sculpture Part 1 (2007, October).

     www.mytopclip.com/videos/4531/ron-mueck-the-most-realistic-sculptures-part-1

Tanguy.S.(2003, August). The Progress Big Man A Conversation With Ron Mueck.

     www.sculpture.org/documents/scmag03/jul_aug03/mueck/mueck.shtml

Week 2- Barbara Kruger & Mercantilism



I shop therefore I am (1987)  Barbara Kruger



Face It (Green) 2007 Barbara Kruger




1) Describe the ‘style’ that Kruger has used in the two presented works

Barbara Kruger is renowned for her "signature agitprop style", Barbara Kruger: The Art History Archive (2011) and also for using bold works of art with equally bold messages. She has used cropped black and white photographs in both of her works, juxtaposed with large dominating blunt text in a Future Bold Oblique font. Kruger’s use of simple language in this clear font is easy for the viewer to understand and places more emphasis on the works message- a common element of her style. Kruger has used her graphic design background to create eye-catching pop art images.  

2) What are some of the concepts and messages that Kruger is communicating in them?

In these works one of the messages Kruger is trying to communicate is her frustration with how the media objectifies women in advertising. In the above image Face It! Kruger is exploiting the visual strategies of a pre-existing fashion advertisement by cropping this advertisement and overlaying her own blunt text to catch the viewer’s attention. Kruger is using this work to highlight the hidden messages in consumer advertising aimed at women e.g. if you wear this garment you will appear more attractive and desirable. Her concepts of femininity and society regarding advertising are strongly communicated in both of the above examples of her work.

3) Do these images communicate these ideas effectively? Explain your answer.

I believe Kruger’s frustration with the media’s objectification of women in advertising is communicated effectively in both of these works. In Face It, her simple imagery helps to clearly communicate her strong message. Kruger’s criticism of women and the way they seem to believe the messages in these fashion advertisements is evident in her work and this disapproval helps to get Kruger’s message across by making the viewer question the way they think when viewing this sort of advertising. When I view an advertisement featuring a beautiful model or influential celebrity, I’ve noticed that I view the advertisement differently- evidence I have been influenced by Kruger’s messages in her works.

4) Define the concept of Mercantilism and explain how these two examples can connect with the concept.

One definition of Mercantilism is "an early modern European economic and political system in which wealth and power were determined by possession of gold and a favorable balance of trade with each other," Cultural Anthropology (2011). I think Kruger’s above two examples of work connect with this concept- by being anti-mercantilist. I also believe that Kruger is trying to communicate that advertisers with mercantilistic beliefs have too much influence over society. This message is communicated well in her work- “This luxurious garment WON’T make you rich or beautiful”, challenging the mercantilist message of most fashion advertisements.




5) Upload a more recent example of Kruger’s work where she has used a new medium, that is not graphic design. Title your image of the chosen work and comment on your response to the work. How do you think the audience would experience this work?

Barbara Kruger Exhibition (1991) Mary Bonne Gallery

This photo shows an exhibition of Kruger’s later work where she has explored typographic art in a three-dimensional space to communicate her messages to the public. She is still getting the same values and beliefs across as her earlier work but in a more confrontational way. The enclosed space immerses the viewer amongst messages and graphics that utilize the energy of the architecture to enforce Kruger’s message.

Reference List

Art 21. (2011, March 12).
     www.pbs.org/art21/artists/kruger/card2.htm

Barbara Kruger: The Art History Archive: Feminist Art (2011, March 12).
     www.arthistoryarchive.com/arthistory/feminist/Barbara-Kruger.html



Cultural Anthropology. (2011, March 12).
     www.routledge.com/textbooks/9780415485395/glossary.asp


Farthing, S. (Ed.). (2008). 501 Great Artists. New York, USA: Barron’s.


Rider,S. (2011, March 12). Writings: Barbara Kruger: Signs of Post Modernity.
     www.wdog.com/rider/writings/real_kruger.htm