Margie McDonald grew up in rural Newfoundland in a large family that was economically challenged. From an early age, she was involved with material reuse. She knit, crocheted, made quilts and clothing from recycled material.
McDonald earned a degree in fine art with a focus on textiles, with a tendency toward sculptural forms by way of traditional techniques. In 1998 she worked as a yacht rigger and was introduced to wire and slicing techniques. She immediately began to experiment with cast-off industrial materials and sea-inspired forms.
Recycling is the basis of McDonald’s current work because of a desire to reuse the huge variety of objects that no longer have a useful life for their intended purpose. Every material has a unique nature that can be drawn out and given a new life without destroying the material’s inherent qualities.
McDonald wants to engage the unconventional art viewer through my materials and methods. Leaving all the constraints of traditional rules behind, she now uses simple hand tools and her sculptures evolve through being made rather that through a preconceived plan. She is driven by the excitement of discovery in my ongoing investigation of the materials, exploring their flexibility, strength and reflective qualities.