I had reservations for the Tea Lounge at the Mandarin Oriental with about an hour to spare so I was heading to the Aria when I was passing by the most magnificent Cirque de Soleil sculptures and I entered the gallery to explore more of Richard Macdonald.
I walked in knowing I would not afford any of the art, but Myrna was very welcoming and informative. She encouraged me to interact with the artwork and spin some of the pieces around to capture them in movement.
I have the utmost respect and fascination for Richard MacDonald's artwork. The paintings and sculptures were absolutely phenomenal and there are not enough words for me to express me awe... but of course I will still try. There is something so whimsical and emotional for me when I look at the art. The poses are so life-like that it feels like the sculptures are about to move at you. These Cirque du Soleil pieces are so difficult to capture, it takes a high level of skill as well as great observation and knowledge of the human body -- from the individual body parts to the muscles that form at certain poses.
A few of my favorites were Joie de Femme, Showtime and Elena III.
There was so much rigor and passion that went into this art. In the exhibit, there were some videos that showed dancers posing over and over for Richard MacDonald while he is perfecting the form of these sculptures. Myrna told us how there would be 4 evaluators during the processing when the pieces are made and any slight imperfection would be tossed. A lot of love definitely went into this art and the prices are fair for how much work was put into them.
The exhibit features a quick article on "The Spirit of Dance" with David Hume is quoted, "beauty in things exists in the mind that contemplates them." This was such a beautiful experience for me, I just wanted to share this exhibit. Myrna was so passionate and friendly, look for her here or at the Bellagio if you are interested in discussing a collection. Maybe some day I will afford to be a collector, but in the mean time I will just inform the collectors to keep an eye out for this exhibit and for others like me to come by and admirer the art and let your soul bask in its' glory.