Round the back: the small guy reviews Ron Mueck

The small guy reviews Ron Mueck at Christchurch Art Gallery.



"Well, this one's showing someone who's just died. His eyes are closed and he's not breathing. You can't see his chest going up and down. You can't see why he died, but I reckon probably he was a scientist who shrunk himself in an experiment and it all went wrong. You've got to be a bit careful, doing experiments."



"From the front, it looks like someone with their head cut off, but from the back you can see it's a mask. I like this one."



"This lady's having a baby. She looks sort of relaxed but a bit worried. The baby inside has made her very fat, and if you go round the back you can see her butt. I wonder how Ron got her toenails to stick on? Come round the back, Mum, and have a look at her butt."



"What I like about this one is that it's a new born baby. It shows a bit of blood, which is on babies when they're born. You can see that the baby's got one eye closed, and the other one open. She's keeping an eye on what's going on. She's got a bit of a grumpy expression. And look, you can see the baby's butt. That's the second butt I've seen in this exhibition."



"This guy's just figured out that he's been stabbed. Maybe he's going to die. We don't know."



"This guy's looking for an island. He's forgotten where he put his clothes and his food."



"Wild Man is big and fierce. But he looks sort of scared and shaky. He's got goosebumps on his arms. Heh heh, you can see his willy. Look! There it is. What's good about this one is that he's a giant, but he's scared of something, just like smaller people are. He's got a really hairy butt."



"This woman is looking at someone. It's like someone woke her up and she's a bit cross and tired. But she's trying not to show that."



"Woman with Sticks. She's carrying a lot of sticks, and she's tired of carrying them. She wants to put them down. One of the sticks is nearly poking her in the eye. Round the back, you can see the Woman with Sticks's butt."


"These two women are talking, but they've been interrupted by someone you can't see. Maybe they were quarrelling. I reckon they were moaning about their shoes. Maybe their feet hurt and they wanted to swap shoes and they were arguing about it. They are a couple of old moaners."


"This guy's floating away. He's in a swimming pool which has opened up into the sea, and he's drifting away to somewhere no one knows about. He'll start paddling soon."



"Real chickens aren't this big. This bird would probably be a moa or an eagle. It's a bit disgusting how it's cut open. It's got a drip on the end of its beak."



"This one doesn't want to be woken up. She's just on the edge of going to sleep. Sometimes you can think of quite good things when you're just about going to sleep."



IMAGES ABOVE
1. Ron Mueck Dead Dad 1996-7. Silicone, polyurethane, styrene, synthetic hair.
2. Ron Mueck Mask II 2002. Polyester resin, fibreglass, steel, plywood, synthetic hair.
3. Ron Mueck Pregnant Woman 2002. Polyester resin, fibreglass, steel, aluminium, synthetic hair.
4. Ron Mueck A girl 2006. Polyester resin, fibreglass, silicone, synthetic hair, synthetic polymer paint.
5. Ron Mueck Youth 2009. Silicone, polyurethane, steel, synthetic hair, fabric.
6. Ron Mueck Man in a Boat 2002. Silicone, polyurethane, synthetic hair, painted wood, metal.
7. Ron Mueck Wild Man 2005. Polyester resin, fibreglass, silicone, aluminium, wood, horse hair, synthetic hair.
8. Ron Mueck Woman in Bed 2005. Polyester resin, fibreglass, polyurethane, horse hair, cotton.
9. Ron Mueck Woman with Sticks 2008. Silicone, polyurethane, steel, wood, synthetic hair.
10. Ron Mueck Two Women 2005. Polyester resin, fibreglass, silicone, polyurethane, aluminium wire, steel, wool, cotton, nylon, synthetic hair, plastic, metal.
11. Ron Mueck Drift 2009. Silicone, synthetic hair, polyester resin, fibreglass, polyurethane, aluminium, plastic, fabric.
12. Ron Mueck Still Life 2009. Silicone, polyurethane, aluminium, feathers, stainless steel, nylon rope.
13. Ron Mueck Old Woman in Bed 2002. Polyester resin, fibreglass, silicone, polyurethane, synthetic hair, cotton, polyester.