German writer Lion Feuchtwanger once said: "A talented person is talented in everything." You can't say that about many people. But Mark Newson is truly a legendary figure in the design world. His creations are the most coveted at famous auctions in the world. He did not limit himself to certain limits and creates masterpieces in almost all areas.
There are no small things in art
From coat hooks to spaceships, this is a wide range of designer interests. There is practically no such area that the hand of the master would not touch: the interiors of restaurants and airports, airplanes, spaceships and cars. He creates watches and furniture, dishes and clothes, household appliances and sanitary ware, pens, bicycles, flashlights, etc. Designer Mark Newson emphasizes that for an artist there are no minor details, everything should be in harmony.
Newson is one of the most celebrated masters of our time. Time magazine included him in the list of 100 most influential people on the planet. His works go from auctions at fabulous prices. HeHe is a professor at the Universities of Sydney and Hong Kong and is the Royal Designer of UK Industry. Mark Newson's work is exhibited in world famous museums: MoMA in New York, V&A and Design Museum in London, Center Pompidou in Paris and Vitra Design Museum.
Stages of development
The famous designer was born in Australia in 1963. He was raised by his mother, who worked at the beachfront hotel where they lived. Little Mark was constantly among the beautiful things that attracted him. As a teenager, he travels with his mother through Europe and Asia. Upon his return, the guy enters the Sydney College of Art, where he studies jewelry and sculpture. He applies the acquired knowledge to his new passion - furniture making. At the same time, she studies art history from Italian magazines borrowed from a magazine kiosk, where the future designer worked part-time.
Two years after graduating from college, he opens his studio Pod, which specializes in making furniture and watches. The designer prefers to create in the style of biomorphism: smooth flowing lines, no sharp corners, transparency. This style involves the use of high-tech materials to create ergonomic pieces.
Record broken
Fame for Mark Newson came in 1986 when he created the Locked Lounge couch - a liquid metal form that resembles a drop of mercury. In two months of work, the designer has created a masterpiece of craft art of the highest level: a smooth, seamless, streamlined shape. The deck chair is assembled from hundreds of small aluminum plates,nailed to a homemade fiberglass backing. This work has been exhibited at the Roslyn Oxley Gallery in Sydney and received an award from the Australian Council of Crafts.
There are only 15 such couches in the world, they, like all works by Mark Newson, have limited editions. Therefore, things from Newson are in great demand among collectors who are willing to pay big money. Locked Lounge set a record price for a piece of modern design, at which she left the Phillips de Pury auction - $ 1.6 million. But in 2015, she breaks her own record: the daybed sold for £2,434,500.
Lady Luck
The designer once lived and worked in Japan, then moved to France, and from there to England, where he opened his own art studios. The biography of Mark Newson is an example of a minion of fate, to whom fortune constantly smiles. And in his personal life, everything is at the highest level. In London, he met fashion designer Charlotte Stockdale, daughter of the English baronet Sir Thomas Stockdale. They got married and have two wonderful children.
Mark Newson designed his house in London as a chalet. To do this, he purchased the second floor of an early 20th-century Edwardian building that once housed a mail sorting vault. Here, both spouses applied their skills by designing the design of each room. Mark retained his futuristic industrial style, while Charlotte brought in elements of British style.aristocrats: libraries with books, zebra skins instead of carpets.
There is no limit to perfection
Now the most expensive designer on the planet is moving to a new level. In 2014, Mark Newson becomes Senior Vice President of Design at Apple. It was no coincidence that Mark got into the famous company. He has a long friendship with Jony Ive. Together they created several projects that left charity auctions. Jony Ive was delighted to formally partner with a talented friend.
In a creative tandem with Jony Ive, Newson created the Apple Watch smart watch. This is his first creation, which received mass production. According to some estimates, only in the 1st quarter of 2015, Apple watches were sold in the amount of 4.5 million pieces.
Mark Newson is modest about his success:
Maybe I just got lucky. Of course, it's nice to think that the fame of my things is based on recognition and continuity, because in every project there is a particle of my DNA. I hope there is something timeless in chairs and airplanes.
The designer himself also uses smart watches in his daily life to view notifications. Newson also appreciated the fitness components of the watch, which are very helpful during sports training.
