Design and Library from the Collection of Mark McDonald 
13 January 2022
Design and Library from the Collection of Mark McDonald 
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Tapio Wirkkala

Collection of three vessels

Iittala
Finland, c. 1970
mold-blown glass tallest: 12¾ h × 8 w × 6¼ d in (32 × 20 × 16 cm) shortest: 8 h × 6¼ w × 12½ d in (20 × 16 × 32 cm)
estimate: $400–600
result: $875
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Collection includes Marmora vase (model 3544), Inari bowl (model 3543), and Miracus vase (model 3432). Incised manufacturer's mark to underside of each example ‘Tapio Wirkkala 3543’, '3432' and '3544'.
provenance: Collection of Mark McDonald
literature: Tapio Wirkkala: Eye, Hand and Thought, Aav, pg. 316

print

My artistic world is the shape of my way of living and working. It has grown through those experiences which are everyday life to people living in the North. One can see the same continuous process of creating the phenomena in nature as there is in man. Repeated process—winter, spring, summer, autumn—and still always new and surprising.

Tapio Wirkkala

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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