Ever since his poignant sculpture of his dead father’s small, naked, vulnerable body (Dead Dad 1996-7) caused such awe and admiration in the Sensation exhibition at the Royal Academy in London in 1997, Ron Mueck’s work has come to epitomise a renewed interest among artists in a hyper-realistic sculptural representation of the human body. His work concentrates almost exclusively on the human figure, tracing our passage through life from birth to death. All his sculptures are made with an obsessive attention to realism, right down to the pores in the skin and the hair on the body.

Mueck’s figures are initially modelled in clay and then cast in fibre-glass or silicone, with individual details such as hair or fingernails applied afterwards. Often naked and suspended in states of self-consciousness, introspection or deep contemplation, his figures present both emotional and physical states of exposure. As viewers we experience a level of unease that is borne of a voyeuristic awkwardness, as though we have invaded some kind of personal space. This retrospective exhibition includes four new works by Mueck in addition to some of his major, recognised works including the iconic Dead Dad 1996/97.

Ron Mueck was born in Melbourne, Australia in 1958, but has lived in London for over 20 years now. He honed his extraordinary skills in making life-like figures during several years in film and television. He worked on the Muppets and was responsible for the special effects in David Bowie’s film Labyrinth.

Shakespeare: King Lear
Directed by Marion Potts
Featuring John Bell
Designer: Dale Ferguson
Lighting: Designer Nick Schlieper
Sound Designer: Stefan Gregory
Composer: Bree van Reyk

Cast:

Keith Agius, John Bell, Peter Carroll, Justin Cotta, Paul English, Peter Kowitz, Josh McConville, Jane Montgomery Griffiths, Bruce Myles, Yalin Ozucelik, Anthony Phelan, Susan Prior, Leah Purcell, Bree van Reyk, Tim Walter

A father in his twilight years divides his assets between his three daughters. She who loves him most will gain the most. Goneril and Regan are more than happy to flatter him so they share the spoils. Cordelia, his youngest and favourite, is too honest for her own good. Furious, he disowns her and sends her away. Betrayed by the elder two who have all he once owned, Lear is left destitute. Still blinded by pride and vanity, it’s not until Cordelia returns to save him that he realises his catastrophic mistake and recognises true love. But is it too late?

One of the greatest works in Western literature, King Lear is an epic story of power, loyalty, jealousy and betrayal, and a profoundly moving study of human frailty and the nature of love.