Richard Wright on Contemporary Design

NEW YORK—In the late 1980s, with little knowledge or experience in the field of design, Richard Wright started buying and selling furniture and decorative objects; soon thereafter he opened a store in Chicago. A few years later he met Julie Thoma, who talked him out of moving to New York; the couple dated, married, and in 2000, opened the auction house Wright. Their decision proved to be a wise one, as in eight short years, Wright has become one of the most prominent venues for important design.

As the first auction house specializing in modern and contemporary art and design, Wright is now an acknowledged market authority. Annual sales have grown exponentially since the house’s modest beginnings, totaling over $29 million in 2007. To great accolades and commendation, Wright has forever changed the auction industry with its catalogs, which are photographed, developed, and designed like high-style magazines. The house’s carefully curated sales feature historic and cutting-edge design alongside postwar and contemporary art, complementing and driving the recent synergy of the art and design industries. From its knowledgeable position, Wright has been a leader in developing numerous markets — from Italian design to important architecture — and cultivated the now-common notion of collectible design. Julie Thoma Wright passed away in 2007, but Richard is still in Chicago, where he continues to lead the house.

To see images of Wright’s Top 5 contemporary design picks and read what he has to say about each of them, click on the photo gallery to the left.