Marc Newson

Sometimes I start with the material, sometimes the idea. In this case the materials were the inspiration. Often the context of materials strikes me more than the materials themselves. Context is new, not materials."
—Marc Newson

Gagosian Gallery is pleased to announce an exhibition of limited edition works by Marc Newson.

Following his acclaimed exhibition in New York, Newson has created three new variations on established themes. As before, each work is conceived and meticulously crafted in a seamless piece of material. Extruded Table 3 is a startling evolution from the preceding Extruded Tables, where the open-ribbon form becomes an unbroken line with no beginning and no end. The dynamics of its streamlined silhouette are further emphasized by the natural grey/white striations of the marble. Low Voronoi Shelf is directly inspired by its more monumental forbear Voronoi Shelf, but reconceived as a useful surface rather than a purely sculptural object. With Carbon Fibre Chair, Newson explores an existing model in terms of a radically different material. In doing so, the highly reflective, "liquid" yet weighty Nickel Chair morphs into its polar opposite, a darkly absorptive, light-weight form.

Newson approaches design as an experimental exercise in extreme structure and advanced technologies, combined with a highly tactile and exacting exploration of materials, processes, and skills. As an industrial designer, his reach is broad and diverse, from concept jets and cars to watches, footwear, luggage, and aircraft interiors. Since the outset of his career, he has also produced beautifully crafted, limited-edition furniture, including the now-iconic Lockheed Lounge (1986). In a world where the distinctions between art and design are becoming increasingly blurred Newson is a trailblazer, having pursued parallel activities in exclusive and mass production for more than twenty years.

Marc Newson was born in Sydney, Australia in 1963 and studied sculpture and jewelry design at Sydney College of the Arts. Parallel to his career as an industrial designer, he has exhibited limited edition works and projects in galleries and public institutions since 1986, including Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain, Paris (1995, 2004); Powerhouse Museum, Sydney (2001); the Groninger Museum, Netherlands (2004); and London Design Museum (2004-5). In 2007 Newson had a major exhibition of limited edition works at Gagosian Gallery in New York. Currently he is Creative Director of Qantas Airways. He lives in London, with design studios in London and Paris.