Russel and Mary Wright:
Dragon Rock at Manitoga
Press Kit | Sag Harbor Books
The use of these assets are authorized exclusively for promotion of the book Russel and Mary Wright: Dragon Rock at Manitoga only, and should not be used for any other use case.
In the mid-century era of suburban conformity, Russel and Mary Wright were individualists. The realization of a decades-long vision, Dragon Rock at Manitoga, the Wright’s family home, occupies a sprawling forested property and abandoned quarry located an hour north of New York City. Today, it is part of the Historic Artists’ Homes and Studios program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Although best known for American Modern dinnerware, the Wrights rejected rigid modernism for a life that invited ambiguity. Mary’s role as a partner, designer, and entrepreneur is explored here for the first time. This lavish volume is filled with personal histories, and hundreds of stunning photographs synthesizing multiple archives, charting the innovation of their design practice, their lives, and the idyll at their Dragon Rock home and the Woodland Paths of Manitoga.
Session Information
Session Title: Russel and Mary Wright: Dragon Rock at Manitoga
Session Description: Best known for American Modern dinnerware, Russel and Mary Wright were at the forefront of American mid-century industrial design. Mary’s role as a partner, designer and entrepreneur is explored here for the first time. Multiple archives have been synthesized exploring the innovation of Russel and Mary Wright’s design practice, their home and the extensive 77 acres of Woodland Paths at Dragon Rock, Manitoga.
Russel and Mary Wright: Dragon Rock at Manitoga is an immersive experience evoking the individuality of these artists, the spirit of architecture and design in the mid 20th century and their ethos around sustainable landscape practices. Edwina von Gal will speak to these innovative practices and the importance to educate and implement these tenets today.
“The book fills in the gaps, from how the house evolved to Mary’s involvement. It’s a new deeply considered way to understand the collaborative work. It’s a beauty.”
John Danzer, Munder Skiles, emeritus board of directors, Manitoga\Russel Wright Design Center.
Photography by Emily Beets, Ripley Auctions
Photographer unknown, courtesy of Manitoga\The Russel Wright Design Center
Photographer unknown, courtesy of Manitoga\The Russel Wright Design Center
Courtesy of Manitoga \ The Russel Wright Design Center
Courtesy of Manitoga \ The Russel Wright Design Center
Courtesy of Manitoga \ The Russel Wright Design Center
Photograph by Adam Anik
Courtesy of Manitoga \ The Russel Wright Design Center
Photography by Vivian Linares, Courtesy of Manitoga \ The Russel Wright Design Center
Courtesy of the Estate of Russel and Mary Wright
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About the Author: Jennifer Golub
Jennifer Golub is the author of Russel and Mary Wright: Dragon Rock at Manitoga. Her previous publication was Albert Frey Houses 1+2, also published by Princeton Architectural Press. She has produced award winning branded content for the likes of Apple, Adidas, Levi’s, RayBan, and directed and produced Apple’s Emmy award winning “Think Different”. She is the founder of A-Frame Content, generating memorable communications at the intersection of art and social impact. She has served on boards and developed content for various foundations including the XQ Institute, Conservation International, Virgin Unite, (RED), Rock the Vote, Feeding America and Phillip Johnson’s Glass House. She was commissioned by LACMA to produce a film for Ed Ruscha, and the architect Frank Gehry. She resides in Los Angeles, West Marin, and New York City.
About the Moderator: Edwina von Gal
Principal of her eponymous landscape design firm since 1984, Edwina creates landscapes with a focus on simplicity and sustainability for private and public clients around the world. Her work has been published in many major publications and her book "Fresh Cuts" won the Quill and Trowel award for garden writing in 1998. She has served on boards and committees for a number of horticultural organizations, and is currently on the board of What Is Missing, Maya Lin’s multifaceted media artwork about the loss of biodiversity. In 2013, Edwina founded the Perfect Earth Project to promote toxin-free landscapes for the health of people, their pets, and the planet. She is the 2017 recipient of Guild Hall's Academy of the Arts Lifetime Achievement Award for the Visual Arts. In 2018 she received the NY School of Interior Design’s Green Design Award and The Isamu Noguchi Award.