Ron Mueck (Australian, b. 1958). Big Man, 2000. Mixed media, 80 x 47 1/2 x 80 1/2 in. (203.2 x 120.7 x 204.5 cm).
If I were to appear as I really feel and think, I think I would turn out like Big Man.
That aside, I have nothing but affection for this handsome fellow. Why?
Because he's nothing short of gorgeous. No, he isn't any Orlando Bloom or Brad Pitt. He's got something much more genuine in his appearance than Orlando or Brad and that is what appeals to me.
He's raw. He's distrustful and vulnerable. Malice oozes off his skin and the air around this sculpture is always heavy with his glare. His body isn't sculpted with muscles and his skin isn't tan and without blemish. That makes him even more endearing to me. He's is much larger than I am, and even if he wasn't I wouldn't feel welcome around him. I can't help but cross my arms over my chest defensively when around this piece of work. Look at his feet. There is nothing idealized about this work of art and that is what makes it so special to me.
He is currently at a museum called the Hirshorn in Washington D.C. I would make special trips just to see this work of art. (Washington being sixty miles north of where I live.) It was worth the experience, as I get something new from seeing it every time.
