Design 
22 October 2020
Design 
163

William Lescaze

armchair from the Wilbour Library of Egyptology, Brooklyn Museum, New York

Garland Furniture
USA, 1933
nickel-plated steel, vinyl 32 h × 23 w × 24 d in (81 × 58 × 61 cm)
estimate: $2,000–3,000
result: $3,000
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Paper upholsterer's label to underside ‘Aberdeen Studios’.
provenance: Wilbour Library of Egyptology, Brooklyn Museum, New York | Sotheby's, New York, Important 20th Century Design, 14 June 2006, Lot 62 (acquired post-auction) | Collection of Mark McDonald
exhibited: Inside the Walls: Architects Design, 18 January - 17 February 2018, Friedman Benda, New York
literature: William Lescaze: Architect, Lanmon, pg. 173

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Mark McDonald

The Founder of Mid-century Design

Mark McDonald has always been at the epicenter of the world that is mid-century design, to a large extent, it is a world he created. For over forty years, Mark has pioneered whole fields of collecting, providing the scholarship and creating the market for mid-century furniture, studio jewelry, ceramics and Italian glass.

Fifty/50 store front; Ralph Cutler, Mark Isaacson and Mark McDonald

In 1983, Mark opened Fifty/50 with partners Mark Isaacson and Ralph Cutler. This groundbreaking gallery defined collectors’ taste. At the time, modern works were still largely overlooked; Mark and his partners collected and presented the rarest and most interesting pieces, often working with the makers themselves, to create compelling exhibitions accompanied by catalogs documenting the work. 

Fifty/50 opened its doors with an exhibition of Eames design; Mark McDonald and Ray Eames

In the 1990s, Mark opened Gansevoort Gallery, where he continued to curate collections and exhibitions of lasting impact. Over the years, he established relationships with artists and their estates becoming the go to authority on the designs of Art Smith, Ilonka Karasz and Leza McVey, among others. His enthusiasm for the material extended beyond the gallery floor to the back room where lucky visitors got to flip through Mark’s impressive design reference library and discuss the importance of works with him. 

Art Smith with his Spiral necklace design; Mark hosted an exhibition on Art Smith at Gansevoort Gallery. His support of the artist extended to the Brooklyn Museum to which Mark donated several Smith pieces for their collection.

A connoisseur and wealth of knowledge, Mark became a resource for prominent collections across the globe—private and public alike. He inspired a generation of collectors and dealers introducing designers and their production to an audience that continues to grow. In 2002, Mark closed Gansevoort and established 330 gallery in Hudson, New York. Now, semi-retired, Marks splits his time between New York and Florida. He still collects, curates, supports, and shepherds the scholarship of mid-century design.

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