In the main room, there are two large sculptures, the first of which breaks from the theme of birth and motherhood. A large wooden boat is presented on a plinth, in the front of which is a sculpture of a man, possibly in his late 50’s, sitting with his arms folded, craning his neck to view the scene ahead of himself. Once again the level of detail is extraordinary, but this work asks more questions than it answers.

Ron Mueck, Man in a Boat, 2002, Mixed media, 159 x 138 x 425.5 cm

Finally in the main room is the most striking of the works on show. Mueck has created a 2.5 meters high sculpture of a grown woman in the final term of her labour, hands held above her head with eyes closed as if exhausted from the weight of the child she carries. The up scaling of the figure means that it completely commands the space and the attention of the spectators who circle it. It is almost more compelling to watch the reaction of the viewers than the work itself, as one cannot help but question one’s own feelings about or experiences of the issue of parenthood and childbirth.

Ron Mueck, Pregnant Woman, 2002, Mixed media, 252 x 78 x 72 cm

Accompanying the exhibition is a 20 minute film on the working process involved in making the sculptures, and a display of the working models and life casts used by Mueck in preparation for the work itself.

Ron Mueck: Making Sculpture
Date: March 22nd – June 22nd, 2003
Place: The National Gallery
Address: Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DN
Tel: +44 (0)20 7747 2885
https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk