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 Purchase, NY - Malcolm MacDougall, III of Ardsley, NY is exhibiting a series of bronze and steel sculptures in the second floor mezzanine of the Purchase College Library.
This marks the first art exhibition in this new library space. Mr. MacDougall’s work will be displayed through the end of December.
Gallery hours are 8 AM-2 AM Monday-Thursday, Friday 8 AM-10 PM, Saturday 11 AM-8 PM and Sunday 12 noon -2 AM. Purchase College is located at 735 Anderson Hill Road, Purchase, NY.
The nine sculptures exhibited in the newly renovated space are a combination of cast bronze and welded steel works representing and a sampling of Mr. MacDougall’s output as a sculpture student at Purchase College. A larger piece is located at the bottom of a stairwell.
The works are inspired by the principle of growth represented in the reproduction and mutation of cells. He tends to work in multiples as a way of expanding his forms sequentially. Mathematical patterns of organic growth emerge through this exploration.
“My sculptures, “says MacDougall represent the infinite in terms of time and space. Like a chair of molecules my pieces can be made in endless length. But because of the restrictions in the real world, I need to bring them to a conclusion, just as one chooses to bring a sentence to a close.”
“There is an irony in my work, as it is a large-scale look into a microscopic world. I am inspired by crystals and other microscopic organic forms and am fascinated with the elements of the natural environment that go unnoticed because of their size,” he says. The amalgamation of forms is a continuing theme throughout his work which produces a framework for growth and expansion.
He creates some of the pieces in wax and has them cast in bronze. The steel sculptures are constructed and welded. Smaller works define his original concepts which he then expands and re-interprets into larger sculptures.
Mr. MacDougall first came to Purchase while in high school. The faculty were welcoming and were a valuable resource. “They were able to accommodate my needs. They provided the guidance I needed and have been terrific ever since in nurturing me, and allowing me to grow as an artist,” he said.
He has had several mentors at Purchase. Professor, Eric Wildrick, first met Malcolm as a high school student who took a summer art course and showed great promise. He continues to work with him. Professor Phil Listengart also met Malcolm through a continuing education class during his last year of high school. He is head of the Purchase bronze casting foundry and has been mentoring him as an artist for several years now.
When it was time for college Mr. MacDougall was in demand and was recruited by a number of colleges. He looked at several of them and chose to attend Purchase because he liked the environment. “It was a good fit and I was excited about learning from a faculty of working artists.”
Today he is a highly regarded sophomore in the School of Art+ Design with a one-man show in the library and several large scale sculptures displayed in public spaces on the campus. One work was selected for a PSGA Student Art on Campus Award and is located near the Fort Awesome dorm. A second work is located near the Student Union building.
“I’m learning and I’m growing. To me sculpture can be a visual language that communicates feelings and emotions,” he says.
He is happily taking commissions based on works he has already produced and future plans may include graduate school to further hone his skills as an artist.
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