Ron Mueck is an Australian born artist who currently works in the United Kingdom. He is known for his hyperrealistic sculptures that have been displayed at exhibitions around the world since 2009. Hyperrealism is an art style that originated in the early 2000s and basically depicts real life in an unusual way. Ron started off using fiberglass and has since switched to silicone to produce thought provoking life-like characters. One of his more well known pieces, Dead Dad, is a sculpture of his father in honor of his death. I find his work fascinating because his sculptures are so unique in their detail and unnatural size. I think it is fun to figure out what Mueck is trying to convey with each different piece he creates, using the interesting posture and facial expressions he gives his sculptures.
http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/exhibitions/ron_mueck/
This shows a progression in how Mueck represents reality in his own way. It also gives insight on how he has grown as an artist, starting with puppets (human-like characters), making them do what he wants, and now sculpting human-like figures into the positions he wants.
http://www.artmolds.com/ali/halloffame/ron_muek.htm
This site briefly describes why the artist has chosen to create this type of art. "Photography destroys the physical presence of the original object." Meaning that you no longer need the original if you have a copy. I take this to mean that; he sculpts instead to bring attention to emotions of his characters and highlight aspects of the body that may otherwise be overlooked.
http://www.sculpture.org/documents/scmag03/jul_aug03/mueck/mueck.shtml
Big Man, larger than life sculpture, Ron Mueck
Baby, larger than life sculpture, Ron Mueck