Wharton Esherick was an influential American sculptor and craftsman, known for his pioneering work in the studio furniture movement and organic, sculptural designs that have left a lasting impact on the world of woodworking and craftsmanship.

• Born: 1887
• Died: 1970
• Hometown: Paoli, PA
• Education: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
  University of the Arts

About Wharton Esherick

Wharton Esherick (1887 – 1970) was an internationally significant figure in the landscape of art history and American modern design. As a sculptor, Esherick worked primarily in wood and extended his unique forms to furniture, furnishings, interiors, buildings, and more. A Philadelphia-area modernist sculptor deeply influenced by the Arts & Crafts movement, Wharton Esherick designed and built furniture distinctive for its asymmetric, prismatic forms.

Wharton Esherick Works

His goal was to design furniture that functioned as sculpture, and sculpture that functioned as furniture. “His motto, “If it isn’t fun, it isn’t worth doing,” is evident in the joyful expression of his work. Now recognized as a leader of the Studio Furniture Movement, Esherick saw himself as an artist, not a craftsman, and his concern was with form, not technique. He pursued his artistic vision in forms that might turn to furniture or other sculptural furnishings. More importantly, these were but one aspect of his art complemented by the paintings, prints, drawings, poetry, and sculpture he also created. The eldest of the 4 members (Esherick, Nakashima, Maloof, Espenet Carpenter) of the first generation of Studio Furniture makers, Sam Maloof referred to Esherick as the “Dean of American Craftsmen”