Penche Pressage is an exploratory piece that reveals the depth of Richard MacDonald’s study of classical ballet as he builds toward the realization of a central coda for a grand monument for the Royal Ballet School in London. In Penche Pressage, we see shades of meaning that link it to some of the dominant themes of Richard MacDonald’s works. Trust is conveyed in the way the two dancers work together to create the movement and the purity of form conveys a strong emotional message.

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.