Ron Mueck, 'Pregnant Woman', 2002.
Courtesy of Anthony d'Offay, London.

Ron Mueck: Making Sculpture at the National Gallery

19 March - 22 June 2003
Sunley Room  Admission free

Ron Mueck was born in Australia in 1957 and has lived and worked in London since 1984. His sculpture 'Dead Dad' shown at the Royal Academy's 1997 exhibition 'Sensation', brought Mueck critical acclaim.

He was the fifth National Gallery Associate Artist with the brief to make new work in response to the Gallery's collection. A sculptor of the human figure, Mueck's techniques are traditional yet the resultant work is radical and innovative.

Figures are initially modelled in clay and then cast in fibre-glass or silicone, with individual details such as hair or fingernails applied afterwards. However, Mueck's astonishing realism is countered by unexpected adjustments in scale, which brings to his figures an undeniable psychological power.

During his residence at the Gallery, Mueck became particularly interested in the theme of motherhood, which is well represented in the collection. His work reflects this fascination in surprising ways.

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