The Museum of Glass (MOG) in Tacoma, Washington is the West Coast’s largest and most active museum glass studio. One of the recent MOG exhibitions was René Lalique: Art Deco Gems from the Steven and Roslyn Shulman Collection.
René Lalique (1860-1945) was a jeweler and glass designer. He established his own company in Paris in 1885 for making jewelry and glass art objects.
According to the display:
“René Lalique’s remarkable artistic career was dedicated to creating artwork for a modern century. He explored innovative avenues for glass by marketing to new audiences. By adopting industrial machinery, to produce a set of artistic tools, that created pieces that were sold at more affordable prices. In doing so, Lalique became a champion of glass as a luminous, versatile art medium, expanding its popularity without sacrificing his artistic vision.”
By the 1920s, automobiles had become popular and Lalique designed unique radiator caps that allowed car owners to customize their cars. According to the display:
“Many of these sculptures emphasized the automobiles’ streamlined speed by drawing on stylized geometric lines. Works like Victorie (Victory) became synonymous with the Art Deco movement.”
More museum photo tours
Museum of Glass: Some Lalique vases (museum tour)
Museum of Glass: Specere Element by Wes Valdez (photo diary)
Museum of Glass: The Art of Being (photo diary)
Museum of Glass: Visiting Artists (photo diary)
Museums 101: Rodin's Vase of Titans (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: Interpretive Sculpture (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: Iranian Art (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: Toklat Wolves (art diary)