It comes to our attention that the Ron Mueck show at the Brooklyn Museum is ending soon and that you probably did not go see it yet. Perhaps you saw a few photos of them on another blog (since everyone and their mother is blogging about this) and thought, “Big Deal - it’s a sculpture of a naked man. That’s me every morning.”

Don’t dismiss these sculptures so readily, dear reader - hold back that derisive snort or dismissive flick of the wrist, for these sculpture are amazing and MASSIVE.

If you don’t know, Ron Mueck is a hyperrealist sculptor who, à la Jim Henson, started off as a model maker and puppeteer for television and film. ( Interesting side note: he worked on Labyrinth, and also provided the voice for Ludo.) He eventually moved into the realm of fine arts in 1996 with his intricate silicone-based sculptures.

One of the highlights of this exhibition is In Bed, a 21 foot-long sculpture of a woman lying in bed. At first, one may think that the subject matter itself is nothing special, but by reproducing the very minute details of the human body on such a large scale, Mueck turns the ordinary into the extraordinary. Looking up close at this massive woman, one can see the delicate folds of her eyelids, the suggestion of veins underneath her skin, and the way the blanket envelops her body…his hyperrealistic sculptures turn something as dull as lying in bed into a powerful experience. C’est extraordinaire!

The Ron Mueck show ends on February 4th, and should not be missed. For location and times, you can go here.

While you’re at the museum do check out their Egyptian Art collections - it’s one of the finest in the world. As we are preparing for our female-centric ARCHDL III, we are still hopped up on women in the arts, and would also like to recommend stopping by the the fourth floor of the museum to see female artist Judy Chicago’s iconic piece The Dinner Party. Bon voyage!