A Conversation on Serge Mouille with Dan Tolson of LAMA
"He didn’t sign any of his lights. Few if any designers during this
period signed their work. The concept of the superstar designer is a
relatively recent one. I never met Mouille; however, from friends who
knew him, I understand that he was a very modest man, with no interest
in fame or celebrity. " - Dan Tolson, Director of 20th Century Decorative Art & Design
"Over the past 15 years of selling Mouille lighting I have found that no
two lamps are identical," Dan Tolson explained to me last week when he showed me the 5 lots (120-124) of Serge Mouille lighting that are included in the upcoming May 19th auction at Los Angeles Modern Auctions. "I cannot think of any other designer during this period that explores these qualities of modernity and handcraft with such perfection, other than perhaps George Nakashima." Included in the Mouille lots at LAMA is one of the rare Dior Ceiling lamp executed in 1960, used for the Dior employee health clinic. Not much is truly known of this rare collaboration with the Dior fashion house, but these are rare indeed, and worth seeing in person! The Mouille silhouette is instantly recognizable, and he has heavily influenced a current generation of lighting designers pushing light, shadow, and form. Oh- Mouille!
Dan Tolson is still relatively new to Los Angeles, and admits to having part of his personal collection still in boxes. In 2012, Dan Tolson joined Los Angeles Modern Auctions as Director of 20th Century Decorative Art & Design. Previously Dan Tolson worked with Christie's in London as Associate Director of 20th Century Decorative Art & Design for 9 years. Thank you Dan for this conversation about the works of Serge Mouille. See you May 19th at LAMA for the Auction. - David John
David John: Why do you think the Serge Mouille market has increased over the past 10 years?
Dan Tolson:
Mouille designs are so instantly recognizable, iconic even. Unlike the
works of some Italian designers where the stylistic differences can seem
less defined between manufacturers, with more reliance on color accents
and a variety of materials, Mouille's works stand out immediately with
strong silhouettes and a bold monochrome palette. When I first began
selling Mouille lamps in the late 1990s, the modern design market was
still very underdeveloped, with very few reference books available to
help underpin the market. As a result, buyers at this time bought with
their hearts rather than their heads, judging the designs on the merits
of their unique aesthetic qualities and functionality. Right from the
early days I have always found the market for Mouille designs to be one
of the most consistent and stable growth areas. Over the past 5 to 7
years, with the increase in the amount of reference material and overall
awareness of design and a diminishing supply of examples on the market,
I have witnessed a steep increase in auction prices. I do not see a
change in this trend for the foreseeable future.
Serge Mouille : Rare Dior Ceiling Lamp. Est. $30-40,000
Designed and executed 1960 Enameled aluminum, steel rod, brass collar Atelier Serge Mouille
Conceived for use in the health clinic, Atelier Christian Dior, Paris, 1960 Provenance:
Atelier Christian Dior, Paris;
David John:
Explain the Christian Dior and Serge Mouille connection?
Dan
Tolson: Mouille would always refuse to bend to pressure from clients to
make custom adaptations to his designs – he considered them perfect as
they were. The only two clients that were highly regarded enough to
influence his designs were the designer Louis Sognot, and the fashion
house Christian Dior. The former succeeded in persuading Mouille to
produce custom versions of his design with white enamel paint, as
opposed to the available black enamel finish of standard production. The
Atelier Christian Dior succeeded in commissioning Mouille to produce a
unique ceiling lamp design for use in their employee health clinic. It
seems fitting that Serge Mouille would conceive this bespoke design for
Atelier Christian Dior. Dior originally dreamt of becoming an architect,
and both designers were to introduce a revolutionary design ethos to
their chosen media, each creating a “New Look” based on bold, simple
lines, a strong silhouette, and a focus on functionality.
While
the elements of this design – the narrow steel rod arms and domed
shades – are characteristic of standard Mouille works, the configuration
of the elements with their vertical elongated wishbone form is entirely
different from any other Mouille design, which are usually configured
horizontally in order to spread light as far as possible across a
ceiling. Very little is known of Dior’s involvement and collaboration
with Mouille over this design; however, it appears that the fashion
house required a lamp that would function from a high ceiling where a
long vertical reach was required, and as no other Mouille designs
existed that fulfilled this criteria, this particular variant was
designed for this purpose.
Detail of Serge Mouille: Suspension a Trois Bras Pivotants
Designed 1958, executed before 1964 Enameled aluminum, steel rod, brass collar
DJ:
Approximately how many lamps did Serge create? Did he create all of these works by hand, or did he employ people to produce his designs?
DT: It is impossible to say how many were produced; however, they were only produced for approximately 10 years, from 1953 to 1963. Also during this period the lamps were produced in the designer’s own studio: they were not outsourced or mass-produced in factory. While it is impossible to speculate on the quantities, over the past 15 years I have seen some of the larger ceiling lamps such as the Suspension à Trois Bras Pivotants reappear at auction, which leads me to believe that only a limited number were produced. The more common designs – if "common" is an appropriate term – such as the standard Saturne appliqués have come onto the market in far more frequently. During the early 2000s, I sold many Antony wall appliqués, which led me to assume that they were common; however, since then very few have appeared on the market, this assumption was proved incorrect. Some of the more rare models are the Dior ceiling lamps. It is thought that only approximately 10 of the Dior ceiling lamps were ever created, and of these I am only aware of six having come onto the market (including the example we have coming up for sale on May 19th). I would be thrilled to discover the remaining 4.
DJ: Did he sign his lighting?
DT: He didn’t sign any of his lights. Few if any designers during this period signed their work. The concept of the superstar designer is a relatively recent one. I never met Mouille; however, from friends who knew him, I understand that he was a very modest man, with no interest in fame or celebrity.
DJ: Why did he stop creating lighting in the 1960s? What was his last collection?
DT: Ironically it was partly as a result of the phenomenal success of his designs that he decided to cease all production. With success came an increase in demand and the number of orders that Mouille was expected to fulfill. At this point it became clear to Mouille that he would not be able to keep up with demand from his studio alone and would need to adapt the designs for mass production. His refusal to compromise on the handmade quality of the product ultimately led him to retreat from the business. His last collection was knows as Les Colonnes. This series was a completely new direction for the designer. The designs consisted of elongated tubular or square section columns of aluminum that he perforated with horizontal cuts in order to transmit light. The series was not created with commercial success in mind; rather, it represented a personal desire to continue experimentation in lighting designs. As a result, these are the rarest of Mouille designs, and in some cases only single examples were ever produced. In addition to this, Mouille had been suffering from tuberculosis for a number of years and finally underwent intensive treatment. Following treatment, he returned to his teaching post at the École des Arts Appliqués.
DJ: Are his silversmith works collectible, and do they show up on the auction market often?
DT: He was an apprentice under Parisian silversmith Gabriel Lacroix. To my knowledge, none of his works of silver have come onto the market. Perhaps this is due to the fact that many of these pieces were produced before he was well-known, and so may still be sitting in family collections. While it is pure speculation, I also imagine that these early apprentice pieces probably had a strong Art Deco appearance, which would have been the prevalent style of the early period of Mouille's career, and would not look like the work of a modernist at all.
" I love the handmade feel of Mouille’s lighting. The small idiosyncrasies
of production, the aged patination to the brass ball-and-socket joints,
the yellowing of the reflective white interior paint: I do not find
these qualities in the lighting design of any other designer anywhere in
the world during this period. I love the contrast between the low-tech
handcrafted quality of the studio production and the bold futuristic and
anthropomorphic quality of the forms." - Dan Tolson
"...the original reflective white
paint to the interior of the shades ages beautifully to an attractive
grayish yellow, which is partly due to the natural aging process of the
paint and partly as a result of exposure to heat from the electric bulb
over many decades of use."
DJ: How does licensing (for example, Design Within Reach) affect the value of his original works? Who is making the new licensed work?
DT:
The officially licensed reproductions are made in France by Serge’s
widow, Gin Mouille. This has not had a detrimental affect on the value
of the vintage originals, mainly as a result of the fact that only a
limited number of the original works were ever produced. Additionally,
while the official reproductions are well made, they differ greatly from
the vintage originals. For example, the brass ball-and-socket joints on
the reproductions have lathe marks on them, whereas the originals were
burnished to a smooth finish by hand. In addition, the paints that were
used during the 1950s and early 1960s are very different to those used
today. They remain very difficult to replicate and age very differently
from one another. This may sound trivial; however, it makes a huge
difference to the overall appearance of the lamps. One of the key
visible differences with the paint is that the original reflective white
paint to the interior of the shades ages beautifully to an attractive
grayish yellow, which is partly due to the natural aging process of the
paint and partly as a result of exposure to heat from the electric bulb
over many decades of use. I find the brilliant white paint of the
reproductions jarring, lacking the subtlety and mellow beauty of the
originals. Another distinction I cherish in the original lamps is the
subtle physical differences you find in each example. Over the past 15
years of selling Mouille lighting I have found that no two lamps are
identical. Due to the fact that they were handmade, there are always
small, sometimes barely perceptible differences. You find this
particularly when looking at the shades, where there can be very slight
differences in the cut and shape. For example, cut marks can often still
be seen on the edges of a shade, where the shade was cut by hand from a
single sheet of aluminum. I’ve also found the shade of the Simple floor
lamp to have been produced in two forms, with one example of a more
exaggerated elliptical form. These small idiosyncrasies of the original
studio examples are lacking in the uniformity of the reproductions. This
was Mouille's main motivation for selecting brass for these elements of
the lamps. Another aspect I adore of the original table and wall lamps
is their standard utilitarian white plastic on/off switches. Again,
these age beautifully from brilliant white to a mellow ivory shade after
50+ years of use. The on/off switches on the reproductions are produced
from brass, which I feel takes away from their original utilitarian
modernist spirit.
DJ: Have there ever been any Serge Mouille exhibitions organized?
DT: There was one key exhibition in New York by 20th century decorative arts dealer Anthony DeLorenzo. “Jean Prouvé / Serge Mouille: Two Master Metalworkers” took place in 1985, just 3 years before Mouille passed away. The show was held in conjunction with Serge Mouille and the leading champions in the reassessment of his work, Alain and Christine Conourd.
DJ: Did Jacques Adnet and Serge Mouille collaborate? What is the connection? Did they ever create works together?
DT: Jacques Adnet never collaborated with Mouille. Adnet's role in Mouille’s success was his suggestion that Mouille create a collection of lighting designs as a response to what Adnet saw as an unwelcome invasion of Italian lighting designs on the French market. Adnet came from the previous generation of great French designers, during a period when French design arguably led the world. The disruption during World War II caused France to loose this momentum, and it was overtaken by design from Italy, Scandinavia, and America. One of Adnet’s main strengths was lighting design, though by 1950 his brand of luxurious modernism was beginning to look dated. I think Adnet realized this, saw in Mouille the possibilities for a new direction, and felt that it was time for a new generation of French lighting design.
DJ: How was Serge's work received early in his career? Was his lighting expensive at the time?
DT: While I do not know how much the lights would have cost during the 1950s, considering the labor-intensive nature of their production, I imagine that they were priced moderately. They would not have been priced as luxury items such as the works of his predecessors, including Jacques Adnet, Maison Desny, Jacques Le Chevallier, or Edgar Brandt. If they were luxury items, then it seems doubtful that public institutions such as the Cité Universitaire d'Antony, University of Strasbourg, and Aix-Marseille University would ever have placed orders.
DJ: Are there many Mouille fakes circulating on the market? What are the indicators of an authentic work?
DT: As soon as the work of any designer begins to achieve high prices at auction, there will be somebody who sets out to emulate the designer’s work. I have only been aware of Mouille fakes over the past 6-8 years. Some are better than others, but they are all obviously imposters. Thankfully it is the small idiosyncrasies of the originals that I have already touched on which separate the real thing from the fraudulent examples. Having seen dozens of genuine and fake examples over the years, one develops the eye to determine the difference between the two. I am always happy to review examples on behalf of clients, as it can be difficult for the untrained eye to tell the difference.
Saturne Wall Appliques (3) Designed 1957,
executed before 1964, Enameled aluminum, steel rod, brass collar Atelier Serge Mouille
DJ: Why did Florence Knoll reject their collaboration?
DT: Very little is known of this. It may have been the result of a difference of opinion in the nature of the design’s manufacture. Purely speculation on my part, but I imagine that Knoll Associates were interested in adapting the designs for mass production, which is something that I do not believe Mouille would have ever considered. In the end they failed to find a compromise.
DJ: What personally excites you about the works of Serge Mouille?
DT: I love the handmade feel of Mouille’s lighting. The small idiosyncrasies of production, the aged patination to the brass ball-and-socket joints, the yellowing of the reflective white interior paint: I do not find these qualities in the lighting design of any other designer anywhere in the world during this period. I love the contrast between the low-tech handcrafted quality of the studio production and the bold futuristic and anthropomorphic quality of the forms. I cannot think of any other designer during this period that explores these qualities of modernity and handcraft with such perfection, other than perhaps George Nakashima.
Los Angeles Modern Auctions
"Founded in 1992 by Peter Loughrey, Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) is the first auction house to specialize in selling 20th century Modern Art & Design. LAMA holds four auctions a year, plus occasional exhibits that are open to the public. From the casual buyer to the most dedicated collector, LAMA auctions offer quality, vetted modern material in every price range, including paintings, prints, furniture, and decorative objects."
Thank you to Laure Joliet for the beautiful photographs!
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