Monday, September 18, 2006

Image copyright Alan Edwards. No unauthorised reproduction
I went to the Ron Mueck exhibition last week, and it was quite an experience. The effort that goes into producing these lifelike - but not life-size - sculptures is incredible. Mueck is a former film model maker with no formal art training, but you quickly realise that this isn't just a demonstration of his technical skills. Some of the pieces are HUGE, and it's impossible not to be affected - or perhaps disconcerted - by their sheer size, but there's a coherence about the show as a whole, and the smaller works play their part too. The captions for the exhibits are mercifully free of art-speak, which is understandable because work like this speaks for itself. There's a feeling of distance and restraint running through the exhibition, but it's still very accessible. One thing you can say about Mueck is that his art is for everyone, and the show has been drawing punters through the doors in their thousands. If you're in Edinburgh before it closes on 1st October I'd recommend a visit.