Ron Mueck: Foundation Cartier

Foundation Cartier: Ron Mueck

Upon entering the Foundation Cartier pour l’art contemporain. The exterior façade seems to blend with the surrounding area with the front exterior wall, skimming the sidewalk, graced with a garden space before the actual set back of the entry of the building. The entirety of the façade is glass in material and metal partition walls. However, this building does standout for good reasons in its environment.

The building as a whole is rationally planned out, as well as the curation of the work being housed here on exhibition from April 16^th until the 29^th of September. This day encompassed a logical, and critical analysis – on multiple scales, of the works of Ron Mueck.

Ron Mueck - Foundation Cartier

We were asked to critically analyze two specific works along with the overall theme of the exquisitely curated exhibition. The pieces the group I was in focused on “Woman with Sticks” – (you can see the photo of the piece on brochure posted below) and “Young Couple”. I will specifically talk about “Woman with Sticks” here.

Woman with sticks - Exhibition handout

I focused on the smaller scales - scale of the body (the fifth of the six scales) and the details of the piece (the last scale of six). It was important to note that the lady in “Woman with Sticks” depicted in the round was bearing more weight in sticks of our human scale than it seemed humanly possible to carry. The weight bearing was shown in the folds of her skin near her ankles, that seemed stressed, and nearly crippling. The scars and coloration of the wounds on her body (scratches from the sticks) – were present on her stomach and arms. The deep grooves in her back suggested the motion she was bending in due to the weight, however her face did not seem in distress like the rest of her body.

Sketches of the parti of Foundation Cartier

Her gaze to us was at eye level to the human scale. Her gaze depicted she felt her duty was effortless and seemed quirky to me. At a certain angle you approach her, she will stare you directly in the eyes. The bilateral stance suggests a potential kinetic motion forward, linear through the path of the room, as if she was walking from the outdoors, through to the next room. What had me questioning the reality of this situation she was placed in – the dialogue in my head led me in to thought about the fact she is not dirty at all, her toes are neatly polished, there is no dirt on her feet, her pony tail is fairly intact, and even her legs are smooth in appearance.

We found that she appeared to represent a mythological situational circumstance. There was nothing connecting to me how she could be in the nude, bearing more weight than possible, with multiple scars, seemingly coming from an outdoor setting, no dirt to be found upon her skin, yet seemingly not frustrated with her overbearing task.

Overall, The conclusion we came to about the theme of the exhibition in an entirety would be that of vulnerability in loss and intimacy and  - As well as discovery of the self, and a self executed awareness of the other in a societal commentary.