RICHARD MACDONALD (USA,1946). Lot n° 1

RICHARD MACDONALD (USA,1946). "Phases of the moon".1972. Bronze, specimen 484/950. Signed, dated and justified on the base. Measurements: 37 x 20cm.; 5 cm. base. Richard MacDonald, based in California, is known for his bronze sculptures and his association with Cirque Du Soleil. Trained in painting and illustration at the Art Center College of Design, MacDonald was successful as a commercial illustrator until a fire destroyed his studio in the late 1930s, along with the accumulated works of his career as a painter and illustrator. He then began sculpting in earnest and within ten years became one of the most widely collected figurative sculptors in the United States today. His work has been acquired for the permanent collections of companies such as AT&T, IBM and Anheuser-Busch, as well as notable private collections. His work has been described as "a tribute to the eloquence of the human form". He is an advocate of neorealism and figurative art, and has encouraged emerging and professional artists through annual international masters' workshops. For the 1996 Olympics, MacDonald created The Flair, a 26-foot-tall sculpture of a gymnast. As with all the monuments he has created, MacDonald designed the plaza on which The Flair sits, including a large reflecting pool and fountain. MacDonald has begun work on The Grand Coda, a memorial to Dame Ninette de Valois, founder of the Royal Ballet and the Royal Ballet School. The monument will be installed at White Lodge in Richmond Park, London, England, a historic royal retreat now home to the Royal Ballet School. This work in progress is currently being developed in the artist's studios in California and London.