Marc Newson’s timeless design for the first time in Greece at Gagosian Gallery.
DS.WRITER:
Vasilis Xifaras
Central Image: Cloisonné White & Blue Chair, Marc Newson, installation views, 2022. | Photo: Paris Tavitian. Courtesy Gagosian
Marc Newson, one of the “robust” names of industrial design, has left his mark -and continues to do so- on the global map of design. Originally from Sydney, where he completed his studies in jewellery and sculpture, he built his career having lived in Tokyo and Paris and now works in London, where his company is based, while also teaching at the Sydney College of the Arts. His work concerns the scale of objects and consists of unique furniture, watches, luggage and footware but also aircraft interior design. Now, for the first time, the successful designer presents to the Greek public, at Gagosian Gallery, some of his most famous and successful works, along with new versions of objects that bear Greek elements.
Front: Extruded Ribbon Console, Marc Newson, installation views, 2022. | Photo: Paris Tavitian. Courtesy Gagosian
Marc Newson’s works are characterised by dynamic and organic forms with elegant curves, smooth lines and surfaces made from transparent or semi-transparent materials. His design approach remains experimental, not only in construction and technology but also in material and technique, whether the object is mass produced or produced only once. Concerning the choice of materials, Extruded Tables and Voronoi Shelf are characteristic works -made from a single volume of marble- as is Cast Glass Chair, which combines two glass quarter-spheres of different colours that reflect light. This vocabulary has earned Marc Newson dozens of awards and accolades, including the titles “Royal Designer for Industry” (RDI) and “Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire” (CBE).
Cloisonné White & Blue Lounge, Marc Newson, installation views, 2022. | Photo: Paris Tavitian. Courtesy Gagosian
For his exhibition in Athens the artist, who states: “Greece and Greek culture have always been close to my heart”, is launching limited edition furniture. So, he designed new versions of Cloisonné White & Blue Chair and Cloisonné White & Blue Lounge, which bear on their copper surface circular organic patterns, exuding calm due to their gradient change from white to blue. Blue Glass Coffee Table and Blue Glass Chair, typical examples of Newson's extensive occupation with glass, are also presented as well as the Murrina White and Blue Table, which incorporates the traditional murine technique into contemporary design. Also, the Extruded Tables collection gains a new addition: the Extruded Ribbon Console, made from Azul Macaubas stone. In addition to these new works, other older and classic works are included, demonstrating the timelessness and innovation of his objects that interact with the present and the past.
Back: Blue Glass Coffee Table | Right: Blue Glass Chair, Marc Newson, installation views, 2022. | Photo: Paris Tavitian. Courtesy Gagosian
The only industrial designer represented by The Gagosian
The Gagosian is a global gallery of modern and contemporary art, founded by Larry Gagosian in Los Angeles in 1980 and now has 19 exhibition spaces in Europe, Asia and the America, as well as innovative digital media launched during major art events. Important artists such as Francis Bacon, Claude Monet, Henry Moore, Jackson Pollock and Andy Warhol have been featured in the spaces of The Gagosian, which also publishes special catalogues, monographs and special editions. Marc Newson is the only industrial designer represented by this gallery, which organizes exhibitions of his timeless objects in multiple locations.
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