American-born sculptor Richard Lippold (born 1915) was best known as a pioneer of openwork sculpture and as a major force in the resurrection of the Constructivist tradition in the United States. Frequently associated with the early years of the New York School, Lippold's style is noteworthy for its marriage of technology and humanistic content.

Richard Lippold was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on May 3, 1915. Following the example of his father, he pursued his studies in industrial design at the University of Chicago and the Chicago Art Institute from 1933 to 1937. Alongside work toward his B.F.A., Lippold engaged seriously in music and dance throughout the 1930s. His first employment (from 1937 to 1941) was as an industrial designer for the firm Cherry-Burrell Corporation, at which time he was also engaged in considerable freelance work. Lippold married Louise Greuel in 1940, also the year he began a long teaching career with a position at...