Albert Paley (American, b. 1944), Small Demilune

Lot Details & Additional Photographs

1992, forged and fabricated mild steel with darkened finish, carved mahogany, one piece form, artist's stamp to front leg.

70.5 x 72 x 23 in.

Collection of Sydney and Frances Lewis, Richmond, Virginia

Peter Joseph Gallery, 1992.

Accompanied by a copy of the Lewis's catalog card.

Albert Paley is one the most important and influential metal artists of the modern era. He is praised for his signature style which incorporates the design elements of Art Nouveau and Abstraction in steel.
"My involvement with aesthetics has gone through various phases over the years. In this evolution the constant has always been my focus on personal awareness and perception. My investigation in form development centers on the exploration of material characteristics, related processes and technologies. In creating a work of art, besides my personal experience, my concern is how it emotionally and intellectually engages the viewer. Through the creative process I have developed a personal visual vocabulary fundamentally based in symbolism and metaphor which is implicit in my work." - Albert Paley

Trained in the Jewelry and Metals program at Tyler School of Art under Stanley Lechtzin in the 1960s, Albert quickly established himself as a pioneer in jewelry arts. Albert's breakthrough came in 1974, when he won the national design competition at the Smithsonian Museum's Renwick Gallery, and was awarded the commission to design decorative metalwork doors for the gallery shop. These 'Portal Gates' literally opened doors to a highly successful career, leading to important large scale metalwork commissions and highly sought after studio pieces.

Paley has completed many large scale public commissions including: Mirage (2018), a 29 x 50-ft. long steel work at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas; Passage (1995), a 37-ft. tall steel sculpture located at the Federal Building, Asheville, North Carolina; Evanesce (2009), a 100-ft. tall steel sculpture at Linear Park along the Santa Catarina River, Monterrey, Mexico; and many others. Paley's works are in many public collections including the Victoria and Albert Museum, London; the Smithsonian American Art Museum; the Metropolitan Museum of Art; the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and more.

Overall good estate condition, some light surface scratches and finish inconsistency to the mahogany.