"Today and Others," installation view, 2009. Courtesy of Queen's Nails Projects, San Francisco. Ian McDonald's exhibition at Queen's Nails Projects comprises fourteen handmade objects in five enigmatic groupings that flout distinctions between design, museum, and gallery displays. Evincing a simpler approach than his previous work, McDonald's tussle with the production mechanisms of capitalism seems to have morphed from emulation to rejection. Glossy mould works have given way to thrown, sculpted and crafted pieces, simple drip glazes in neutral tones, and more recognizably functional objects: lamps, storage urns, and benches. The work's detail resides in such unexpected places as the... Read More