The extraordinary artworks of Hyper Real have been unveiled today at the National Gallery of Australia.
Visitors can expect to see a frozen sculpture made entirely of the artist’s blood, a transgenic creature giving
birth amidst an infinite meadow and a virtual journey through a human skull floating in space amongst the
incredible array of ultra-real sculpture and digital art on display.
Hyper Real presents some of the world’s most incredible true-to-life sculpted forms alongside recent kinetic,
biological and virtual creations. The exhibition investigates how artists are pushing the boundaries of the genre
in their exploration of what constitutes the contemporary hyperreal.
‘Presenting 32 artists and nearly 50 works, Hyper Real focuses on extraordinary talent from around the world,’
said Gerard Vaughan, NGA Director. ‘Most importantly, this exhibition highlights the exceptional contribution
of Australian practitioners, including Patricia Piccinini, Sam Jinks, Ron Mueck, Shaun Gladwell, Jan Nelson,
Stephen Birch and Ronnie van Hout.’
‘This exhibition not only celebrates the astonishing material and technical feats that have made hyperrealism
such a globally popular genre, but also explores the conceptual framework within which these works operate,’
said Jaklyn Babington, NGA Senior Curator of Contemporary Art. ‘Contemporary hyperrealism has pushed
beyond static sculpture and into the digital realm. It is a shape-shifting genre, simultaneously traditional and
innovative, familiar and provocative.’
From the Renaissance to the present day, artists have long been fascinated with the human form.
Hyperrealism momentarily tricks audiences into believing the artworks to be real and, in doing so, encourages
viewers to reconsider what it means to be human.
Hyper Real delves into the nuances and complexities of the nude body. From the astonishing precision of
replication in Paul McCarthy’s work, to the idealised beauty of John DeAndrea’s sculpted women and the
oversized, emotionally exposed figures of Ron Mueck, the nude is central to hyperrealism.
Sam Jink’s technically spectacular oeuvre is exemplified by the NGA’s new commission The deposition 2017, an
emotive exploration of the fragility of life and familial roles.
Humour and satire are used to deliver social and political commentary in Sun Yuan and Peng Yu’s kinetic
sculptures, while Maurizio Cattelan uses a playful juxtaposition to explore how the notions of power and evil
are constructed.
Hyper Real pushes the genre beyond today’s understanding of what is natural by encompassing the fantastic
hybrid creatures of Patricia Piccinini.
‘My work deals with ideas of transgenesis—beings that may be part-flower, part-boot, part-human – and looks
upon them with compassion, love and acceptance,’ said artist Patricia Piccinini. ‘I question how far science and
technology may take us, and what ethical questions arise around beings that are non-conformative and
imperfect.’
Our computer-generated world is explored through Cao Fei’s pop culture offering, created in the game of
Second Life. Tony Oursler’s digital talking head holds a mirror to the twenty-first century’s social media
obsession; with anguish, Oursler’s projection tells the viewer it will die if it is not continually looked at and
commented upon.