Wright, David Harrison (sold)
David Harrison Wright (October 14, 1944 - April 4, 2019) was an artist and illustrator based in Key West, Florida. Wright was born in Rogers, Texas, outside of Austin. Although he grew up on a ranch, he was fascinated with boats and the ocean, and carved his own toy ships out of old cigar and fruit boxes. Wright attended the University of Texas at Austin, where he studied interior design, and began taking sailing lessons to fulfill his nautical dreams. After graduation, Wright lived in Houston but traveled to and fell in love with the Florida Keys, eventually moving there in the early 1980s. Aside from sailing regularly, he became interested in local history and began producing his distinctive artistic works. Wright painted in watercolor and several other types of illustration, producing bird's-eye views of localities in the Florida Keys and paintings of ships, flying boats, and seascapes. He was a perfectionist and was known to build models of famous ships that had traversed the Keys, using them as inspiration for his paintings of the same. He also painted murals and produced three-dimensional models of historical buildings such as Fort Jefferson. In addition to his artistic works, Wright was a knowledgeable local historian, focusing on the region's maritime history, and was an active member of both the Key West Maritime Historical Society and the Key West Art and Historical Society.
The Conch Republic - 'a unique collection of characters'
This is a large-format, pictorial promotional bird's-eye view of Key West, Florida, prepared in 1987 by local artist David Harrison Wright for Key Exposure. Although containing many elements of promotional views of the era, it is also unusually informative on local history and culture and evinces uncommon artistic flair. (more details)