Portal Gates

Albert Paley, Portal Gates, 1974, steel, brass, copper, and bronze, 90 34724 in. (230.5182.910.3 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Commissioned for the Renwick Gallery, 1975.117.1A-B

Artwork Details

Title
Portal Gates
Artist
Date
1974
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
90 34724 in. (230.5182.910.3 cm)
Credit Line
Commissioned for the Renwick Gallery
Mediums Description
steel, brass, copper, and bronze
Classifications
Object Number
1975.117.1A-B

Artwork Description

Paley was a highly successful jeweler in 1974 when he entered the Renwick Gallery's national competition to design decorative doors for its shop. Little did he know how winning the competition would transform his career. His Portal Gates instantly became an icon for the museum and led to numerous commissions, propelling his practice toward monumental architectural ironwork. Paley's metalwork pays homage to European art nouveau and American abstract expressionism.

Connections: Contemporary Craft at the Renwick Gallery, 2019

Works by this artist (1036 items)

William H. Johnson, Young Pastry Cook, ca. 1928-1930, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Harmon Foundation, 1967.59.693
Young Pastry Cook
Dateca. 1928-1930
oil on canvas
On view
William H. Johnson, Portrait of a Man, ca. 1935-1938, oil on burlap, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Harmon Foundation, 1967.59.814
Portrait of a Man
Dateca. 1935-1938
oil on burlap
On view
William H. Johnson, Breakdown with Flat Tire, ca. 1940-1941, oil on plywood, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Harmon Foundation, 1967.59.587
Breakdown with Flat Tire
Dateca. 1940-1941
oil on plywood
On view
William H. Johnson, For India and China, ca. 1944-1945, oil on paperboard, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Harmon Foundation, 1967.59.662
For India and China
Dateca. 1944-1945
oil on paperboard
On view

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      • Clarice Smith Distinguished Lecture: Artist Albert Paley Clarice Smith Distinguished Lecture: Artist Albert Paley
      • Meet the Artist: Albert Paley Meet the Artist: Albert Paley

      Exhibitions

      Media - 2016.11 - SAAM-2016.11_6 - 124929
      Connections: Contemporary Craft at the Renwick Gallery
      November 13, 2015March 6, 2022
      Connections is the Renwick Gallery’s dynamic ongoing permanent collection presentation, featuring more than 80 objects celebrating craft as a discipline and an approach to living differently in the modern world.