Serge Mouille

Known primarily for his work as a designer of lighting fixtures, Serge Mouille (1922-1988) designed large, angular, insect-like wall mounted and standing lamps with several arms and smaller, more curved wall-sconces. Some of his best known designs from the period are his “Oeil” lamp (1953), “Flammes” (1954) and “Saturn” (1958). He worked to achieve a kinetic, sculptural aesthetic that evoked a sense of movement in space. He also claimed his lighting fixtures were “a reaction to the Italian models, which were beginning to invade the market in 1950,” and which he thought to be “too complicated.” His designs from this period were shown mainly at the Steph Simon Gallery in Paris. Towards the end of the 1950s the invention of neon tubes inspired Mouille to create a series of floor lamps that combined incandescence and fluorescence. These designs, called the “Colonnes” collection, had their debut at the 1962 Salon for interior design, and are some of his better known later works.For his career as a metal smith and designer he was awarded a medal from the City of Paris from the Directors of Professional Artists