Portal Gates

Albert Paley, Portal Gates, 1974, steel, brass, copper, and bronze, 90 3⁄4 x 72 x 4 in. (230.5 x 182.9 x 10.3 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 3⁄4 x 72 x 4 in. (230.5 x 182.9 x 10.3 cm)
Credit Line
Commissioned for the Renwick Gallery
Mediums
Mediums Description
steel, brass, copper, and bronze
Classifications
Highlights
Object Number
1975.117.1A-B
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/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 (5 items)

View all artworks
Image Not Available
Study for Portal Gates for the Renwick Gallery
Artist
Date1972
pencil and watercolor on paperboard
Not on view
Albert Paley, Lectern, 1990, forged and fabricated steel, brass, and copper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Peter T. Joseph, 1998.34.3, © 1990, Albert Paley
Lectern
Artist
Date1990
forged and fabricated steel, brass, and copper
Not on view
Albert Paley, Pendant, 1973, gold, silver, copper, labradorite, moonstone, jade, glass, ivory, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the James Renwick Alliance and museum purchase through the Smithsonian Institution Collections Acquisition Program, 1991.135, © 1973, Albert Paley
Pendant
Artist
Date1973
gold, silver, copper, labradorite, moonstone, jade, glass, ivory
Not on view
Albert Paley, Candlestick, 1979, steel, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of B.J. and Carol Cutler, 2014.63, © 1979, Albert Paley
Candlestick
Artist
Date1979
steel
Not 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, 2015–March 6, 2022
      Renwick Gallery
      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.