Richard MacDonald (American, b. 1946), Leap of Faith (Viktor Kee), Third-Life

2009, from the artist's Cirque Series, bronze with applied patina, edition number 16/75, signed and dated "R. Macdonald / 2009" to the cubic plinth, mounted atop a tiered polished black stone base.

35 x 10 x 15 in.

Private Collection, Chapel Hill and Greensboro, North Carolina

Much like Marc Chagall, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Alexander Calder, and others working in fin-de-siècle Paris, Richard MacDonald draws artistic inspiration from watching performers and dancers in the circus. His fascination with and close observation of the performers in the Cirque du Soleil is displayed in his Cirque Series. MacDonald has sculpted several works from life in collaboration with renowned Ukrainian dancer and juggler, Viktor Kee. MacDonald met Viktor during the opening ceremony to Cirque’s National Tour in 2000. The dancing form of Viktor Kee, composed within a tight baroque spiral, powerfully suggests the force of energy that propels this performer across the stage. Like a dancing flame, elusive and ephemeral, Leap of Faith breaks the bonds of gravity, and seems to twist and spring before our eyes. With a lightness that defies the substance of the bronze, the sculptor has given this figure a powerful athleticism, tempered by grace and wit. The blind-fold reminds us that Viktor's feats take courage and tremendous self-confidence: he is the embodiment of the power of faith in action. Balancing on a cube, we see that his will creates a second by second triumph over gravity -- Leap of Faith is the very essence of "living in the moment."

Born in Pasadena, California, MacDonald graduated from Art Center College where he was classically trained. He then became a self-taught sculptor and spent the last 50 years reviving the lost art of figurative sculpture through innovation, passion, and intense commitment. An illustrious career with many awards, honors, and public monuments has resulted in an extensive body of unique works in bronze, including a monumental 26-foot-tall bronze, Flair Across America, that was installed in Centennial Park, Atlanta for the 1996 Olympic Games. Now based in his Monterey studio, MacDonald has established himself as one of the leading figures in contemporary sculpture. He has his own foundry where he has control over the quality of his sculpture and is represented by Dawson Cole Fine Art.

Good estate condition.