Three decades of Ron Mueck’s realist, pathos-laden portraits of human frailty

After garnering international attention for his stirring small-scale piece Dead Dad (1996-97), UK-based sculptor Ron Mueck (born 1958) became famed for his detailed, tender renderings of his subjects. Although breathtakingly lifelike, his works depart from realism in their scale, and are always either smaller than life-size or monumental. Published on the occasion of a much-anticipated exhibition at Fondation Cartier, this catalogue raisonné expands upon the institution’s 2013 publication. Spanning Mueck’s 30-year career, it reproduces all of his sculptures through photographs and previously unpublished documents. Artist’s notes, studio shots, preparatory drawings and photographs of models invite the reader to discover Mueck’s creative process; contributions from scholars Justin Paton, Robert Rosenblum and Robert Storr, and philosopher Peter Sloterdijk, explore the major themes underlying his art.