On January 21, 2018, Albert Paley will sell a selection of archived metalwork sculptures, furnishings and jewelry, as well as lithographs, sketches and maquettes. Composed of 60 works, this first of its kind sale, entitled “The Albert Paley Archives Part 1: Creating a Perspective” goes on the block at Rago Auctions in Lambertville, NJ at 11am. The catalog is online now at ragoarts.com. Exhibition from January 13 – January 21. More information available at ragoarts.com, by calling 609-397-9374 or emailing info@ragoarts.com.

Estimates for several preparation drawings, and some pairs of candlesticks begin at $1000 – 1500 and rise to $40,000-60,000 for the Jointed Cameo pendant​.

"We’ve had the privilege of selling Albert Paley’s work for the past two decades. In all that time, I’ve never lost my amazement at its energy – his ability to visualize the liquidity unexpressed in a solid," says David Rago. "We are proud to represent this encyclopedic collection, a compendium of work spanning nearly 50 years."

Selected Highlights

• Lot 900:  "Shared Vision" desk, Rochester, NY, 1999; Forged, fabricated, and painted steel, carved and cerused mahogany; Stamped signature; 39 1/2" x 105" x 32"; Exhibited: Albert Paley, Leo Kaplan Modern, New York, NY, 1999; Albert Paley, Maurine Littleton Gallery, Washington, D.C., 2000; Albert Paley/Sculpture, Drawings, Graphics, & Decorative Arts, Florida State University Museum of Fine Art, Tallahassee, FL (traveling exhibition 2001 - 2003); American Metal: The Art of Albert Paley, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., June 28 - September 28, 2014. Pre-sale estimate: $35,000-45,000

• Lot 910:  Exceptional large Jointed Cameo Pendant, Rochester, NY, 1973; Forged, fabricated, and formed sterling silver, copper, and gold, with antique cameo, pearls, and Delrin; No visible markings; 17" x 4 1/2" x 4 1/2"; Designed around an antique cameo, it is hinged to conform to the contour of the body.; Provenance: Collection of the artist; Published: Lucie-Smith, The Art of Albert Paley, 1996, no. 161; Exhibited: The Metalwork of Albert Paley (Retrospective Exhibition, 1962 - 1975) Columbus Gallery of Fine Arts, Columbus, OH, Hunter Museum of Art, Chattanooga, TN, John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Sheboygan, WI, 1980; Albert Paley: Sculptural Adornment, Renwick Gallery of the National Museum of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., 1991; Albert Paley/Sculpture, Drawings, Graphics, & Decorative Arts, Florida State University Museum of Fine Art, Tallahassee, FL (traveling exhibition 2001 - 2003). Pre-sale estimate: $40,000-60,000

• Lot 912:  Exceptional large pin from the Fibula series, Rochester, NY, 1971; Forged, fabricated, and oxidized sterling silver and gold, with coral, geode, and pearls; Stamped PALEY STERLING 1971; 5" x 9 1/4" x 3"; Published: Lucie-Smith, The Art of Albert Paley, 1996, no. 127; Exhibited: Paley/Castle, Fairtree Gallery, New York, NY, Tyler School of Art, Philadelphia, PA, Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 1973; The Metalwork of Albert Paley (Retrospective Exhibition, 1962 - 1975) Columbus Gallery of Fine Arts, Columbus, OH, Hunter Museum of Art, Chattanooga, TN, John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Sheboygan, WI, 1980; Albert Paley: Sculptural Adornment, Renwick Gallery of the National Museum of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., 1991; American Metal: The Art of Albert Paley, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., June 28 - September 28, 2014. Pre-sale estimate: $18,000-22,000

• Lot 923:  Maquette and drawing for a privately commissioned gate, "Arched Progression" (Tallahassee, FL), Rochester, NY, 2003 (drawing)/2007 (maquette); Stainless steel, wood, red pencil on paper; Each signed and dated; 25" x 68" x 14", sheet: 14" x 22"; The gate was installed in 2006 and the maquette was finished the following year. Pre-sale estimate: $20,000-30,000

• Lot 959:  Nine-foot outdoor sculpture, "Evanesce," Rochester, NY, 2004; Fabricated weathering steel, stainless steel; Stamped signature and date; 112" x 42"; Exhibited: Albert Paley, Grounds for Sculpture, Hamilton, NJ, 2009; Albert Paley Sculpture, Naples Museum of Art, Naples, FL, February 4 - April 17, 2011; Albert Paley Sketches & Steel, The Polk Museum of Art, Lakeland, FL, 2012; Thresholds, Sonoma Valley Museum of Art, Sonoma, CA, 2017. Pre-sale estimate: $30,000-40,000

The voluminous Paley Studio Archive contains images, information and objects spanning much of his five-decade career. Only a portion will be sold. Paley is now in discussions with institutions capable of housing the rest of the archive and fostering scholarship.

Albert Paley was a highly successful jewelry artist in 1974 when he won the commission to design decorative metalwork doors for the Renwick Gallery's shop. Already known for creating wearable sculptures, the beauty of his Portal Gates opened a new career for Paley, leading to numerous commissions and world renown for his monumental architectural ironwork, sculpture and furnishings. 

Paley's sweeping ribbons, whorls and shoots of metal pay homage to European Art Nouveau and American Abstract Expressionism and exploit his mastery of fabrication and forging.​ It is work that attracts collectors and institutions alike: the Renwick Gallery​, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC, as well as many private and corporate collections.
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