Richard MacDonald is world-renowned for artistry that reveals a profound understanding of the human experience and which celebrates the ascendancy of the human spirit. His fascination of the human form and with mankind’s broad emotional range has inspired him to create dynamic, sensitive works; each infused with a quality that withstands the passage of time, of taste, of trend. Born and raised in California during an unkind era for figurative art, MacDonald was tossed into artistic waters by his uncle, then a leading graphic designer. Primed by his childhood and formally trained in Professional Arts at the Art Center, College of Design, Richard MacDonald forged an alchemy of experience to become an artist whose drawings, paintings and sculpture portray the passion inherent in the triumph of the human condition.
The inspiration behind MacDonald’s 1996 tour de force, “The Flair,” a 26-foot gymnast caught in the execution of the maneuver, actually emerged from a painting he created for the 1984 Olympics. And although he based his design on the studies he did of Kurt Thomas for the painting, The Flair’s essence lies more in the struggle, determination and hours of training, all brought to that instant when performance is everything. Therein lies the metaphor for his own artistic achievements. Richard MacDonald went on to create, among other masterworks, “Momentum”, a 15-foot, 15-ton sculpture created in celebration of the 100th playing of the U.S. Open golf championship at Pebble Beach.
When not creating art, he travels on behalf of it, extensively and internationally, forging relationships with other countries, other creators. His work is collected by such people as former U.S. President Bill Clinton and Senator Hillary Clinton, Linda and Stewart Resnick, William Payne, Dean Koontz, Richard Marx, Leanne Rimes, and opera legend Luciano Pavarotti. The absence of opportunity and training in figurative sculpture has created a void not only in the preservation of fine art, but in the persistence of life, which MacDonald, a natural teacher and devoted mentor, works relentlessly to fill. He works tirelessly to increase the appreciation and understanding of figurative art throughout the world. Richard MacDonald also graciously gives of his art and his time to hundreds of charitable organizations; among those Boys and Girls Clubs of America, Make a Wish Foundation, and New York’s “Free Arts for Abused Children,” which was a charity event sponsored by Cirque du Soleil and Lincoln Automotive. His commitment to fostering the future of post-modern, neo-figurative art is realized not only in creating monuments to human triumph, but by imparting his knowledge and technique, his experience and his lessons to emerging international and national professional artists through intensive master classes on location at his own 25,000 square foot studio complex.
As he passes the torch, he ensures his legacy. The artist’s international reach has now captivated Shanghai, China, which recently recognized his accomplishments with a prestigious award and invited him to install his life-sized sculpture “Three Graces” in Central Green Park, a 1,500-acre expanse that softens Shanghai’s new cosmopolitan financial center of Pudong. “China is important to the world in that they are a force and on the move,” MacDonald said. “Exposing them to figurative art opens up a potential for artistic expression far greater than anyone would ever have dreamed possible until today. It is this very spirit of the struggle and determination to triumph that inspires creative expression. This is the message, I think, that will endure through my work.”
