Studio: international art (87.1924)

MR. GORDON RUSSELL'S
FURNITURE 0000

UNTIL recently a comparatively un-
known worker, Mr. Gordon Russell
is rapidly establishing for himself a dis-
tinguished place among modern designers
and craftsmen. Some admirable pieces
of furniture produced by him were shown
at the exhibition held by the British

V,"'

CLOCK IN CASE OF ENGLISH
WALNUT* DESIGNED BY
GORDON RUSSELL, EXE-
CUTED BY RUSSELL AND SONS

Institute of Industrial Art in August last,
and attracted considerable attention. A
selection of these pieces appears in the
1924 Studio “ Year Book of Decorative
Art,” which we publish this month.
On these pages we illustrate a few more
recent examples of his work. His designs,
while pleasantly varied in treatment, are
invariable, dignified and restrained, re-
lying mainly for their effect on a natural
expression of fundamental construction
and the beauty of carefully selected woods.
Some of these pieces suggest the influence
of the late Mr. Gimson, and in all there
is a close affinity with the work of the old
craftsmen, but Mr. Russell cannot justly
be accused of plagiarism. He really has
a great deal to say for himself and says it
in a personal and emphatic fashion. While
freely acknowledging the value of tradi-
tional influences, his designs are indi-
vidual in character and modern in spirit,
and are in no way imitations of old pieces.

It is clear that Mr. Russell is an artist
who believes in himself and his work,
whose achievements are the result of
definite convictions established by sym-
pathetic and penetrating study of native
craftsmanship and expressed with courage
and conviction. Such qualities are by no
means common in the work of modern
designers. His outlook, moreover,is logical
and his methods eminently sane and free
from affectations. We cannot do better
than quote his own words in order to
emphasise the nature of the enterprise
on which he has embarked and the
ultimate purpose he has in view. “ I
think it is largely the close study of old
pieces which has inspired most of my
designs. I wanted to show that furniture
could be made well to-day and sold at a
reasonable price. I am a great admirer
of the work of the late E. W. Gimson, and
have always felt that the attitude of so
many people in demanding either old
pieces or reproductions would be followed
by a more reasonable outlook. I have
felt strongly, moreover, the importance
of finding creative work for the most
intelligent youngsters in the country,—
boys who do not want to work on the land,
and who drift into factories in towns.
It is a most difficult problem, but it can
be solved. All our men come from the

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