The Super-Realist Sculptures of Marc Sijan

Here we find another set of super-realist sculptures, this time by Marc Sijan, a Wisconsin native who began using plaster, polyester resin, varnish, and oil paints to craft extremely like-like figures in graduate school in the early 1970’s. Ruth Sternberg (formerly of the Canton Institute of Art) once said of Mr. Sijan’s work, “Sijan’s figures are incredibly lifelike, sensuous and graceful. In fact, they are so lifelike, they seem always on the verge of movement, a mere instant away from action. The pores in the skin, the tiny hairs, and veins; even the bald spots, the blemishes, the individual shapes of the faces that make human beings so similar, yet so unique: These are the essence of what makes Marc Sijan’s work so arresting.” While his work has often been compared to the work of our previous subject, Duane Hanson, it has a very different quality to it. He seems to focus less on making social commentary and far more on capturing the posed moments of people’s lives in all of their three-dimensional glory.

Note: Much to the chagrin of many of the commenters on my previous super-realist post, I’ve included pictures of some of his works of obese people. Also, as so many of you said you’d have used your talent for, a marginally “hot chick.”

Here are six pictures of his pieces:

Deep in Thought


Mamma Mia


Depressed Mode


Help Me Snorkle


Mr. Policeman


Tourist Trap