This biography from the Archives of AskART:
|  Russel Wright: The Original Modfather
It's all true: Russel Wright beat Martha Stewart to the punch by 50
years. The first designer to successfully market his wares using
his own name as a well-defined brand, Wright rode the crest of the
Modernist wave for over 20 years. And he did it all -- furniture,
accessories, dishes, glassware, table linens, art pottery, and much,
much more. There were many famous and fabulous industrial
designers working successfully in the 1930s, 40s and 50s, but nobody
brought modern sensibilities to the masses to the extent Wright
did. His permeation of the American consciousness at such an
early time is truly extraordinary.
Finally, Wright, who died in 1976, has recently started receiving the
attention he deserves. The comprehensive exhibit "Russel Wright:
Creating American Lifestyle" ran at the highly respected and
influential Cooper-Hewitt design museum in NYC in 2001 and 2002 to wide
acclaim. Here in our own hometown Dallas, Wright's work was quite
prominently featured at the Dallas Museum of Art's landmark "From
Tabletop to TV Tray" 20th Century dinnerware exhibit, which traveled to
several other major cities in 2002. Examples of Wright's work are
now on permanent display at major museums across the nation.
And until recently, you could purchase brand-new Russel Wright
dinnerware at major department stores. Oneida, with the permission and
cooperation of Wright's daughter Ann, manufactured a "re-issue" of some
of Wright's most popular shapes in new glaze treatments. A hybrid of
the old American Modern and Casual lines, the new line was discontinued
in 2004, so collectors are now scrambling to snap up the remaining
stock at discount stores (including Oneida's own Home stores located in
outlet malls all over the USA).
Source:
http://www.modfather.com/why.htm
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This biography from the Archives of AskART:
|  A modernist sculptor and designer based in New York City, Russell
Wright studied at the Cincinnati Academy of Art with Frank Duveneck,
and at the Art Students League in New York with Kenneth Hayes
Miller. From 1922 to 1924, he studied at Princeton University and
in 1923, took classes at the Columbia University.
He served as founder and President of the American Society of
Industrial Designers and was also a founding member of the Harlem
School of Arts. Among his recognitions were the Tiffany Award for
Sculpture, two Trail Blazer awards and Good Design Awards from the
Museum of Modern Art in 1950 and 1953.
His company was Russel Wright Associates, and his design commissions
included electrical appliances, wood and basket products, and
dinnerware and glassware, textiles, floor coverings, wallpaper and
pianos. His designs were the "hallmark of middle-class
consumerism in the 1940s and 50s."
Wright also participated in theatre, serving in productions as stage
director and manager, and he worked with the National Park Service as
Director of their Summer in the Parks Programs.
Source:
Peter Hastings Falk, Editor, Who Was Who in American Art
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