Guest Curator

Mary McDonald Guest Curates A Collection of Art to Move You

We’re thrilled to have interior designer and star of Bravo’s “Million Dollar Decorators” Mary McDonald guest curating an exclusive collection of art as part of our ongoing Guest Curator series. Read on to discover the role art plays in her life, first piece of art she bought, the artists she’d most like to meet, and the last great exhibition she attended.

https://www.instagram.com/p/1PFmzfoDPb/?taken-by=marymcdonaldinc&hl=en

Award winning Los Angeles-based designer Mary McDonald is one of today’s most sought after tastemakers. She is the international star of Bravo TV’s “Million Dollar Decorators” series and is consistently ranked as one of House Beautiful’s Top 100 Designers. The recipient of the prestigious Stars of Design Award and honored as one of the top 25 designers by Veranda Magazine, Mary and her work have been featured in major national publications including the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and Vogue, among others.

Mary is currently working on her second book, due in 2014. She has just launched her first fabric and trim collections for F. Schumacher as well as an extensive rug line for Patterson Flynn and Martin. Mary continues to add new designs each season to her lighting collection for Robert Abbey while working on projects in New York, Utah, Florida, and California. Read on to discover what inspires this creative powerhouse and to explore her handpicked collection of art on Saatchi Art.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BC9D1ImIDAF/?taken-by=marymcdonaldinc&hl=en

How would you describe your personal style?

Whimsical classicist.

How would you describe your taste in art?


It is pretty varied. I hate when people use the word ‘eclectic’ but I would have to say eclectic. I love odalisque paintings, Sargent portraits, Cy Twombly, overscaled photography etc… It depends on what I am looking to feel.

What role does art play in your life?

Since I work in interior design it is pretty significant. I am also a very visual person who would collect any piece of art that moved me no matter what the provenance, so I would say I have an intimate appreciation for all types of art.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BFARQ5JIDHq/?taken-by=marymcdonaldinc&hl=en

What do you collect?


I collect photography from Miguel Flores Vianna , Konstantin Kakanias and I have a large collection of California plein air paintings by the artist Clyde Scott.
If you could only have one piece of art in your life, which would it be?
Probably Sargent’s “Madame X.” Of course someone would have to steal it from the Met for me but I am not dead yet. There is still time.

Which artist would you most like to meet?


Van Gogh.

What was the first piece of art you purchased?

A small Saharan desert scene from a NYC dealer supposedly by a student of Sargent’s. The “supposedly” made it affordable. Unless you consider my college Steinberg poster art.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BTKSwrshVrR/?taken-by=marymcdonaldinc&hl=en

What was the last museum or gallery you visited?

Malmaison outside Paris last month.

Abstract or Figurative?

Figurative.

Color or Black + White?

Color.

Bacon or Basquiat?

Basquiat.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BL2EY8_j8zI/?taken-by=marymcdonaldinc&hl=en

Murakami or Mondrian?

Mondrian… Murakami is too Hello Kitty for me personally.

Rothko or Ruscha?

Rothko.

Beatles or Rolling Stones?

Wow… hard one… OK. Beatles.

Digital or analog?

Digital with a spot of analog.

https://www.instagram.com/p/wz6H5QIDIT/?taken-by=marymcdonaldinc&hl=en

Love reading about all things art? You can have articles from Canvas, curated collections and stories about emerging artists delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for the Saatchi Art Newsletter.

SaveSave