Crystal is a young ballerina who has posed for Richard many times. She has a quiet radiance, a pure and thoughtful quality that gives her grace an added dimension. She is lithe and delicate, and as Richard studied her, he was struck by an “other-worldliness’ in her demeanor and swan-like posture. The arms he had drawn back became simple flutters of drapery falling from the shoulders and blown back in ruffles that suggest an angel’s wings. Subtlety and classical restraint are the hallmarks of Richard MacDonald’s style, so the angelic reference is not exaggerated, but rather left to the viewer’s imagination.

Warm, silvery, and rare, the platinum patina of this distinctive series by Richard MacDonald creates a play of light that heightens our sense of the underlying sculpted form.  Contemporary in conception and limited to editions of only eight, with some works featured as one-of-a-kind, this body of work reveals the essential beauty of the human form.  As mercurial as human nature itself, light glances off the platinum creating dramatic shadows that seem to strengthen form and enhance the sense of life captured by the artist.