Richard MacDonald
Encyclopedia
Richard MacDonald is a California-based contemporary figurative artist known for his bronze sculptures.
or surface coloration, which is subsequently duplicated by the patina artists on his staff for the remainder of the edition. The final patinated bronze is affixed to a marble base, also designed and selected by the artist as part of the overall sculptural composition.
, MacDonald created the "Flair", a 26-foot-tall sculpture of a gymnast. As with all the monuments he has completed, MacDonald designed the plaza on which The Flair sits, including a large reflective pool and fountain.
. The memorial is to be installed in 2012 at White Lodge in Richmond Park
, London, a historic royal retreat now home to The Royal Ballet School. This work-in-progress is currently in development at the artist's studios in California and London.
Career
Educated in painting and illustration, MacDonald was successful as a commercial illustrator until his late thirties, when a fire destroyed his studio, along with the accumulated works of his career as painter and illustrator. Subsequently, he began sculpting in earnest and within ten years became one of the most collected present-day figurative sculptors in America. His work has been acquired for the permanent collections of corporations such as AT&T, IBM, and Anheuser-Busch, as well as notable private collections. His work has been described as "paying tribute to the eloquence of the human form". He is an advocate of neo-realism and figurative art, fostering emerging and professional artists through annual international Masters Workshops.Method
MacDonald's work portrays "the beauty of the human body and the spirit that drives it". He works consistently with models throughout the process of creating a sculpture, often celebrated dancers, performers and athletes. MacDonald draws and sculpts his subjects over and over, often requiring models to repeat a specific dance move or spontaneous gesture. This may include small, quick sketches in an oil-base plasticine clay that are refined and enlarged as required to complete a particular piece. A mold is used to create editions in bronze through the "lost wax" technique. For each of MacDonald's work he creates the final patinaPatina
Patina is a tarnish that forms on the surface of bronze and similar metals ; a sheen on wooden furniture produced by age, wear, and polishing; or any such acquired change of a surface through age and exposure...
or surface coloration, which is subsequently duplicated by the patina artists on his staff for the remainder of the edition. The final patinated bronze is affixed to a marble base, also designed and selected by the artist as part of the overall sculptural composition.
US Open Golf Championship
The 15-foot-tall, 10,000-pound sculpture sits atop a 22,000-pound granite base, installed at the Peter Hay Golf Course in Pebble Beach, California to commemorate the 100th U.S. Open Golf Championship. The sculpture accurately portrays the mechanics of an ideal golfer swing. The granite base features the names of the first 100 winners of the U.S. Open. The reverse side provides space for the next hundred winners.The Flair
For the 1996 Summer Olympics1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
, MacDonald created the "Flair", a 26-foot-tall sculpture of a gymnast. As with all the monuments he has completed, MacDonald designed the plaza on which The Flair sits, including a large reflective pool and fountain.
The Royal Ballet School
MacDonald has started work on a memorial to Ninette de Valois|Dame Ninette de Valois]], Founder of The Royal Ballet and The Royal Ballet SchoolRoyal Ballet School
The Royal Ballet School is one of the most famous classical ballet schools in the world and is the associate school of the Royal Ballet, a leading international ballet company based at the Royal Opera House in London...
. The memorial is to be installed in 2012 at White Lodge in Richmond Park
Richmond Park
Richmond Park is a 2,360 acre park within London. It is the largest of the Royal Parks in London and Britain's second largest urban walled park after Sutton Park, Birmingham. It is close to Richmond, Ham, Kingston upon Thames, Wimbledon, Roehampton and East Sheen...
, London, a historic royal retreat now home to The Royal Ballet School. This work-in-progress is currently in development at the artist's studios in California and London.
Additional commissions
Additional monument commissions include: Secretary of State William H. Seward, Z. J. Loussac Public Library, Anchorage, Alaska, 1990; Stephen F. Austin, Texas Susquicentennial, Stephen F. Austin University, Austin, Texas, 1986; Rain, City of Concord, California, 1992; Architectonica, MGM Film Group, Inc., MGM Corporate Center, 1987 and The Gymnast, permanent collection of The National Art Museum of Sport, 1986Sources
- Richard MacDonald, 1999, Gardner Lithograph Press ISBN 0-9673425-0-3
- City of Art, Kansas City’s Public Art, 2001
- International Encyclopedia Dictionary of Modern and Contemporary Art 2000/2001
- New Mexico Millenium Collection, 2002