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A person stands on a white plinth, hunched over while clutching a massive bundle of dry branches. The branches extend far beyond their body, creating a wild, sprawling silhouette against a plain white background.

Ron Mueck's pint-sized, hyperrealist sculptures are showing at Hauser & Wirth

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Date
19 April 2012

There are times when art makes you feel unsettled, confused or just plain weird. Don’t be afraid though, it’s probably what you’re supposed to feel – so just embrace it man!

This is certainly true for the work of sculptor Ron Mueck, whose solo exhibition at Hauser & Wirth opens today. Known for his surreal, hyperrealist technique, the works in this show demonstrates his skill of placement and scale. With scaled-down figures that still contain an incredible amount of realistic detail, it really is the size of these sculptures that feels most unnerving. But it’s Mueck’s ability to contrast contemporary subjects with traditional themes of art history that keeps you gazing at them for longer than you’d probably want to.

A hyper-realistic sculpture of a person wearing sunglasses and blue floral swim shorts. They lie flat on their back atop a translucent green inflatable mattress against a light blue wall.
Above

Ron Mueck: Drift, 2009

A plucked chicken hangs upside down by its legs from a single piece of twine. The bird is suspended against a plain white background.
Above

Ron Mueck: Still Life, 2009

A sculpture of a person standing on a white plinth, wearing a white T-shirt and baggy blue jeans. They lift the hem of their shirt to reveal their stomach.
Above

Ron Mueck: Youth, 2009

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About the Author

Rebecca Fulleylove

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Rebecca Fulleylove is a freelance writer and editor specialising in art, design and culture. She is also senior writer at Creative Review, having previously worked at Elephant, Google Arts & Culture, and It’s Nice That.

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