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- Art & Design
Marc Newson
September 2010
Transportation is a major preoccupation for Marc Newson. “I
spend about half my time on airplanes,” says the Australian-born
designer, who moonlights as creative director for Qantas and whose
studios in London and Paris have turned out everything from aircraft
interiors to footwear inspired by Russian cosmonauts. “Transport,”
Newson’s second show at New York’s Gagosian Gallery (September 14 to
October 23), brings together several of his limited-edition and
large-scale projects in aviation, aerospace, automotive, and nautical
design. The lust-inspiring objects include his mirrorlike Nickel
Surfboard (for riding the perilously giant waves of tow-in surfing) and
the ultimate tourist fantasy—the interior of a rocket designed for
civilian space travel. But the star of the show promises to be a new
work: the 33-foot-long Aquariva speedboat, the result of a collaboration
with the Italian boat manufacturer Riva. “The original, iconic version,
from the Sixties, was called the Aquarama,” Newson says. Designing this
latest version was a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It’s like asking a
kid who’s into cars if they want to design a Ferrari.” Speedboats in art
galleries? Newson, who created his own jet (the ultrasleek Kelvin40) for
his 2004 solo show at the Fondation Cartier in Paris, is constantly
crossing the divide between art and design. “I like the idea of
recontextualizing things,” he says. “Putting an airplane in an art
gallery really turned a lot of heads.” Then, too, there are practical
considerations. The boats, in an edition of 22, are selling for about
$1.5 million each. “As a boat, it’s expensive,” Newson admits. “But as a
work of art, it’s kind of cheap. It’s a lot of design for your money.”
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