Once in a while a customer shares a story with us of how they used our products that really stops us in our tracks. No pun intended.
Such an application was brought to our attention recently by the fine folks at The Art of Richard MacDonald Gallery. Many of you have perhaps seen this gallery, as it is rather unique both in traffic and in location. The gallery, which is “presented by Cirque du Soleil®”, is located within the theatre entrance to the “O” Theatre at the world famous Bellagio®, Las Vegas.
“O” is the headline act at Bellagio and is one of the hottest tickets in Vegas, and has been for many years. The theatre seats thousands and, since the show presents 10 times per week, well this alone makes the gallery very well visited. However, it is also open for general viewing during daytime hours and may be found toward the rear of the Bellagio gaming floor.
The gallery space is absolutely stunning, as it must be, to dutifully present the work of such a master, surely one of the most talented sculptors of our era. For that reason, we at AS Hanging Display Systems are most proud to find we play a small part in that presentation.
The gallery designer found a strong motivation to deploy a gallery hanging system within this space. Of course, because this is a gallery where art and displays are constantly changing, a hanging system is justified. There is no need to pound nails into the wall to relocate art and change a display. However, these are not average walls surfaces. The gallery wall surfaces are finished with perfectly polished Venetian plaster. How appropriate! Since walls finished in this manner can never be “repaired” if damaged, gallery management made the decision to protect them by installing a fully functional art hanging system.
While we are not so presumptuous as to compare our hanging display system to the art of Richard MacDonald, we can make one comparison. While Mr. MacDonald’s pieces have the power to command attention, our systems have the exact opposite ability. A well-designed art hanging system recedes into the background, commanding little attention, if any. We think, this too, is an art of a different sort. You could think of it as the art of hanging art.
I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to personally visit this gallery, as well as see “O”. While I thoroughly enjoyed the show, and had my breath taken away numerous times during the performance, I must honestly admit that the gallery exhibit is what completely captured my attention and moved me in ways I’d never experienced through art. The flow, movement, grace, and stunning expression captured in these pieces have stirred an appreciation for art, and the brilliant talent, I’d never before known.
As the gallery recently celebrated the first twenty-five years of the art of Richard MacDonald, we thank Mr. MacDonald for his inspiration, join in the celebration of his success, and urge his future exploration into those captured moments of emotion within the human form.
