Having visited Russel Wright's property and home in Garrison, NY, Mia Kim of WILDER QUARTERLY ventured over to New Paltz to view the Wright exhibition, on display at SUNY.
If you travel just under an hour from Garrison to the village of New Paltz, you’ll find Russel Wright: The Nature of Design on view at the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art. The exhibit spans the designer’s entire career from the handmade metal animals of his early days to his later work consisting of plastic dishes embedded with leaves. Several examples of wood furniture, including the acclaimed Cowboy Chair with pony skin upholstery, prove his diversity as a designer. Also on display are wooden bowls and accessories resembling sea creatures from the aptly named Oceana line. This collection was mass-produced and yet it each piece looks as though they’ve been sculpted by hand. This was Wright’s first attempt at designing with nature as inspiration.
That theme of course also propelled most of his other projects, including Manitoga. A slideshow and recreation of an original lecture explain how the house came to be one of the most imaginative and individual of its time. To learn the thought process behind its construction through Wright’s own words and images is a lesson in his devotion to ecological design. The show’s general focus centers on exactly what Wright wanted to express through his work; the idea that man-made and natural materials can come together in harmony, resulting in simply good, conscientious design.
Through December 16, 2012
SAMUEL DORSKY MUSEUM OF ART, SUNY AT NEW PALTZ
1 Hawk Drive
New Paltz, NY, 12561
MAP![]()
Oceana decorative wooden accessories, 1930s
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A solid maple vanity set from the Conant Ball series. I love the circular accents
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A complete set of Ming Lace Autumn plastic dinnerware opens the show
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Seating that doesn't compromise style for comfort!
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Animals and accents spun from aluminum
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Photographs of Manitoga and Dragon Rock throughout the seasons
If you travel just under an hour from Garrison to the village of New Paltz, you’ll find Russel Wright: The Nature of Design on view at the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art. The exhibit spans the designer’s entire career from the handmade metal animals of his early days to his later work consisting of plastic dishes embedded with leaves. Several examples of wood furniture, including the acclaimed Cowboy Chair with pony skin upholstery, prove his diversity as a designer. Also on display are wooden bowls and accessories resembling sea creatures from the aptly named Oceana line. This collection was mass-produced and yet it each piece looks as though they’ve been sculpted by hand. This was Wright’s first attempt at designing with nature as inspiration.
That theme of course also propelled most of his other projects, including Manitoga. A slideshow and recreation of an original lecture explain how the house came to be one of the most imaginative and individual of its time. To learn the thought process behind its construction through Wright’s own words and images is a lesson in his devotion to ecological design. The show’s general focus centers on exactly what Wright wanted to express through his work; the idea that man-made and natural materials can come together in harmony, resulting in simply good, conscientious design.
Through December 16, 2012
SAMUEL DORSKY MUSEUM OF ART, SUNY AT NEW PALTZ
1 Hawk Drive
New Paltz, NY, 12561
MAP
Oceana decorative wooden accessories, 1930s
Wright’s nature-inspired ceramics for the home
A solid maple vanity set from the Conant Ball series. I love the circular accents
A complete set of Ming Lace Autumn plastic dinnerware opens the show
Seating that doesn't compromise style for comfort!
Animals and accents spun from aluminum
Photographs of Manitoga and Dragon Rock throughout the seasons