Untitled (Big Man)

Ron Mueck

Untitled (Big Man)

2000

Mixed media: silicone and Fiberglass resin

In contrast to most other artists Mueck had no formal education past high school. His parents were German toy makers and he learned to work with many different materials by simply experimenting with them. He is a self-made artist with an inherent talent for sculpting people. He started out making models and puppets for children’s shows, then moved onto animatronics. After some time he realized that “the presence” of his work was lost on film, and he moved to sculpture. His hyper realistic style is dramaticized by the scale he chooses to work in. “In works that are either monumental in scale or undersized, Mueck explores the human condition and psyche, often conveying feelings of loneliness, vulnerability and alienation.”(twistedsifter.com) This larger than life figure stands 8 ft tall, so viewers must look up to see his pout. This Figure in particular gave Mueck a lot of trouble. He hired a model to pose for him, but the model was to fat to make the pose, “His belly was in the way” stated Mueck. But because of this frustrating failure the insulted model went to sit in the corner while the artist tried to figure something out. What became of it was him having a rough model from him sitting on the floor. The rest was his imagination. In this way the mans obesity lead to an even further creation by the artist resulting in another work. There is a careful process to go through for each figure, a model is created, then a cast, then a mold, and finally, all the details are painted on at the end. This particular figure has no hair on him anywhere, so as to add to the uneasy feeling the viewer will get from him.

Mueck, Ron. “The Progress Big Man A Conversation with Ron Mueck.” Interview by Sarah Tanguy. International Sculpture Center. N.p., July-Aug. 2003. Web. 30 Apr. 2010. .

Sifter, Twisted. “Hyperrealistic Sculptures by Ron Mueck.” TwistedSifter. N.p., 23 Nov. 2009. Web. 30 Apr. 2010. .