Pedro Reyes is an artist who specializes in sculpting, architecture, and video making. Born in 1972, in Mexico City, the artist grew up to become well known for his metal and stone sculptures. These sculptures, in particular, are Reyes’s way of taking a current problem and transforming them into ideas for a better tomorrow. His way of not only shedding light but to distract us with playful and sometimes humorous art.
Reyes said in an interview, “I think everyone can do art, but not everyone is an artist.” He is implying that in order to be called an artist, somebody has to produce art within a certain period or era. Reyes identifies himself as an artist not because of what he produces, but because of a process requiring craftsmanship and familiarity for tools. In his case, he uses his expertise to offer a solution to the world through his art.
“Capula Expanded Dodecahedron,” 2009-2010. Stainless steel frame woven in vynil cord“Study for a Recycling Device,” 2005. Painted Cardboard“Collective Hat,” 2004. Pleated Palm. Group Activity“The Grasswhopper,” 2013. Grasshopper Burger
Reyes likes to show his support for a better world through his art, sometimes quite literally. One of his works, Disarm (2013), Reyes received support from the government with a donation of 6,700 guns. Reyes took these confiscated firearms and turned them into musical instruments. Another example of his cheerful minded genius is Palas por Pistolas (Guns for Shovels, 2008), where he melted down guns and forged them into shovels to help plant trees.
“Disarm, (Violin III),” 2013. Metal“Disarm (Xylophone),” 2013. Metal“Disarm (Pan pipes),” 2013. Metal“Palas por Pistolas (Guns for Shovels),” 2007. 1,527 collected guns melted into steel fabricate 1,527 shovels, to plant, 1,527 trees.
People like Pedro Reyes remind us of the positives and that we may have the ability to survive the darkest of times. Through all the violence and unpredictable conflict, everyone can help each other. There tend to be unforeseen consequences resulting from moments in history that we can correct. Reyes’s art demonstrates that there is a solution to every problem and that we can learn with every mistake we make. Dismantle the weapons of destruction to create the tools necessary for constructing a brighter future.
Ron Mueck working on one of his hyper-realistic sculptures.
Ron Mueck was born in Australia to German parents in 1958. His parents were toy makers and he grew up making all sorts of toys, dolls, and outfits. Later, he began his career in making models and worked in the art of puppetry. Soon after, he began creating realistic pieces for an advertisement company. By 1996, Mueck committed his life to his own contemporary art, abandoning any commercial company he would have worked with.
Ron Mueck creates hyper-realistic, large and small scale, human sculptures out of resin, fiberglass, silicone, and other materials. Unlike other artists, Mueck chooses to use his art to portray current human life. He creates sculptures that depict people from all stages of life, ranging from birth to death. While putting a piece of his own personality into all of his work, Mueck strives to show the audience what life really looks like. He doesn’t want to sugar-coat it or sweep it under the rug. He feels like life needs to be seen the way it is felt.
“A Girl” – Ron Mueck
Pictured above, is Ron Mueck’s “A Girl,” where he depicts a new-born, baby girl. He uses the scale of the sculpture to emphasize the trauma and the miracle of child birth. The baby has a disgruntled face, as most do when they are first born. The sculpture also has red coloration throughout to show that the baby experienced some sort of trauma, i.e. birth. Child-birth is such a mystery to many people, as no one remembers what it felt like, but Mueck created this piece to show the reality of the event.
“Boy” – Ron Mueck
Another ginormous sculpture that Ron Mueck created is called “Boy.” The boy’s stature and facial expression makes the viewer wonder what the boy is going through. The sculpture is relatable in a way that the audience is drawn into his emotions, wondering what is going on.
“Mask II” – Ron Mueck
“Mask II” is the second independent, gigantic face that Mueck has displayed. This piece depicts a relatable man, seemingly lying on the platform it is displayed. This sculpture represents the everyday man in society because of the imperfections that are shown, He has wrinkles, a five o’clock shadow, and even some gray hair. Mueck uses this relatability to pull at the audience’s emotions when seeing the sculpture’s face morphed into a concerning look.
Ron Mueck working on sculpture called “Spooning Couple.”
After creating any of his sculptures out of clay, creates a plaster mold, paints some coloration into the mold, then they are then casted into the material Mueck chooses. Typically this is either silicone or fiberglass and acrylic. These materials are used to create the hyper-realistic look that his pieces contain. Afterward, like shown above, Mueck carefully paints the details and sews in the hair.
“Spooning Couple” – Ron Mueck
The sculpture above is known as “Spooning Couple,” and is a small-scale sculpture of a man and woman cuddling. This piece shows the couple with discontented looks and does not portray the “ideal” body types. This is meant to be an image that depicts the imperfections of a relationship. Life isn’t perfect, as Mueck shows in all of his pieces, let alone an intimate relationship.
“Dead Man” – Ron Mueck
The photo above is a sculpture representing Ron Mueck’s father in “Dead Man.” The piece is quite small and is displayed on a large platform, giving the viewer an immediate sense of loneliness. The man depicted is pale, confirming that the man is dead. This shows that death is lonely to everyone. Death is just another phase of life and Mueck felt that is shouldn’t be shut up and not talked about. It is emotional and everyone has to experience it, as is the basis of all of his work.
Works Cited
Mourier, Adam, and Zoey Coen. “13 Hyper-Realistic Sculptures by Ron Mueck.” Bored Panda, 2019, www.boredpanda.com/13-hyper-realistic-sculptures-by-ron-mueck/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organic.
Mueck, Ron. “A Girl.” National Galleries of Scotland, National Galleries of Scotland, www.nationalgalleries.org/art-and-artists/94045/girl.
Taylor, Alan. “The Hyperrealistic Sculptures of Ron Mueck.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 9 Oct. 2013, www.theatlantic.com/photo/2013/10/the-hyperrealistic-sculptures-of-ron-mueck/100606/.
