(warning: some of today’s links are probably not safe for work)
Mask II by Ron Mueck
You’ve probably seen some of these amazingly lifelike sculptures before; they’re so mind-blowing that I think some of them are making the e-mail rounds. I’m still trying to wrap my brain around them. My feelings are a mixed bag: awe at the artists’ skill in reproducing every tiny detail; faint disgust at something that looks alive but isn’t; and puzzlement that people make stuff that can only be displayed in museums. I mean, seriously, would you want a realistic sculpture of a chubby janitor lady in your house? Or a 20-foot woman in bed? I think her bed is larger than my living room. But then, I’m a miniaturist at heart, so I guess other people might be more impressed by monumental art.
No One – In Particular: RGB by Evan Penny
It shouldn’t surprise you that most of these artists come from a background of movie effects, where they learned how to make sculptures that are indistinguishable from the real thing, at least as far as the camera is concerned. I have enough art training to know how to read the artist’s intent, but some of these sculptures leave me wondering about the borders of art. There’s a difference between the kind of photo they take in those little studios at Sears or Walmart, and the kind of photo that you would call “art”, right? One is simply meant to provide a realistic representation of its subject, while the other is meant to express something more. So, at what point do these sculptures that represent imperfect humans in photorealistic detail become art? Is it enough for them to represent an imperfect human who is expressing an emotion? Does monumental size or shockingly realistic nudity make it art?
Fragment #2 (l); Desolation (r) by Jamie Salmon
I don’t mean to disparage any of these works; as I said at the beginning, I can appreciate the sculptors’ immense talent and skill. But I just don’t think they’re for me. I’d love to hear what you think.
Woman with Child in a Stroller by Duane Hanson
For a much better roundup of these artists, visit Web Designer Depot.
The Hanging Man by Sam Jinks
December 15th, 2009 at 4:08 pm
What I’ve always found interesting about hyper-real sculpture is not how “real” they are, but how real they aren’t. I don’t mean this to be a criticism per se. What we accept as true to life depends on more than just the shell of a living thing, it needs to be animated from within. There needs to be not just the suggestion of breath and blood flowing, but the tension of a human being and all that entails under the surface. For me, leaning in close to a face or a hand or a foot needs the discomfort of getting too close to a person who could snap to life at any moment, challenge me with their own intentions, their own will. Realistic inanimate people lack that unpredictability, they’re safe. You tend to dwell on the skill level involved, the materials and technique. So if the artist leans towards creating something “almost real”, something slightly off, a change in scale or proportion, something that suggests his thinking a bit more than his hand, it has much more magic for me.