Real Life
Show: 7.6
Art
One of art history’s best told tales recounts how artists learnt to convincingly render reality, hinging, of course, on the 15th century “discovery” of linear perspective and its potential for remarkable illusionism. Contrary to what the five following centuries of artistic practice might suggest, the success of Australian-born, London-based artist Ron Mueck proves that verisimilitude and technical virtuosity still holds us very much in thrall today. Organized by the National Gallery of Canada, and in large part comprised of works in their permanent collection, Real Life brings Mueck together with acclaimed Israeli and Berlin-based artist Guy Ben-Ner, to probe the philosophical territories of reality, artifice and everyday existence. Originally shown at the National Gallery’s satellite exhibition venue in Shawinigan, Quebec, in 2008, Real Life has since toured to several venues across Canada, including where I took it in, at Calgary’s Glenbow Museum
