Contributing Author to the Exhibition Catalogue

Essays From the Catalogue

From eerily lifelike sculptures to out-of-this-world virtual reality, this major exhibition charted the evolution of hyperrealism into the 21st century. A compelling chronicle of the cycles of life and our constant need for connection, Hyper Real explores the fundamental question: ‘what makes us human?’ Emerging alongside photorealism in painting of the 1960s and 1970s, a group of sculptors began to work in 3D using a range of innovative media often pioneered in the film and television industries. They created a form of sculptural realism that moved beyond the lifelike representation of the human figure. Including major works from early American pioneers George Segal, John De Andrea and Duane Hanson, celebrated Australian artists Patricia Piccinini, Ron Mueck and Sam Jinks, international masters Maurizio Cattelan (Italy), Berlinde de Bruyckere (Belgium), Evan Penny, (Canada), Sun Yuan and Peng Yu (China) and many more this hugely popular exhibition both excited and provoked diverse reactions from its audience.