Serge Mouille

1922 - 1988

SERGE MOUILLE WAS A FRENCH INDUSTRIAL DESIGNER AND GOLDSMITH. HE IS BEST KNOWN FOR HIS LIGHT FIXTURE DESIGNS. 

AT THE AGE OF 13, HE WAS ADMITTED TO THE ÉCOLE DES ARTS APPLIQUÉS. HIS AREA OF STUDY WAS METALLURGY, AND HE EARNED A DIPLOMA IN SILVERSMITHING. 

AFTER HAVING WORKED A FEW YEARS IN THE WORKSHOP OF GILBERT LACROIX, HE OPENED HIS OWN WORKSHOP IN 1945 WITH THE INTENTION OF CREATING SILVERWARE UTENSILS.

IN 1953, HE BEGAN RESEARCHING AND DESIGNING LIGHT FIXTURES, DURING THIS PERIOD, HE WAS ALSO SUPERVISING THE GOLDSMITHING DEPARTMENT AT L'ÉCOLE DES ARTS APPLIQUÉS. IN 1955, HE WAS INDUCTED INTO THE SOCIÉTÉ DES ARTISTES DÉCORATEURS ("THE INTERIOR DECORATORS' SOCIETY"). 

THE FOLLOWING YEAR, STEPH SIMON OPENED A DESIGN GALLERY AT 145 BD ST GERMAIN IN PARIS. DISPLAYING THE WORK OF CHARLOTTE PERRIAND AND JEAN PROUVÉ, THE GALLERY SOON ALSO FEATURED THE WORK OF SERGE MOUILLE, ISAMU NOGUCHI, AND JEAN LUCE. THE DESIGNS OF THESE ARTISTS SOON BECAME MORE WIDELY KNOWN THANKS TO THE ORDERS PLAYED BY INSTITUTIONS, SUCH AS CITÉ UNIVERSITAIRE D'ANTONY, UNVERSITY OF STRASBORG, UNIVERSITY OF AIX-MARSEILLE, AND CENTRE D'ESSAIS EN VOL DE BRÉTIGNY. 

SERGE MOUILLE SUFFERED FROM TUBERCULOSIS FOR MANY YEARS, AND IN 1959, HE WAS FORCED TO SUSPEND HIS DESIGN ACTIVITIES AND UNDERGO TREATEMENT.

IN 1961, THANKS TO THE SOCIÉTÈ DE CRÉATION DES MODÈLES, HE WAS ABLE TO EXHIBIT HIS LATEST LIGHT FIXTURE DESIGNS AT THE TRADE SHOW SALON DES ARTS MÉNAGERS. THESE DESIGNS COMBINED THE CONCEPTS OF FLUORESCENCE AND INCANDESCENCE. 

PRODUCTION OF HIS LIGHT FIXTURES STOPPED DEFINITIVELY IN 1961. 

SERGE MOUILLE REMAINS FAMOUS PRIMARILY FOR HIS MINIMALISTIC DESIGNS AND USE OF UNIFORMLY BLACK PAINTED METAL MATERIALS. HIS WALL-MOUNTED SPOT LIGHT FIXTURE WITH ARTICULATED ARMS IS TYPICAL FOR HIS DISCRETE, YET HIGHLY FUNCTIONAL DESIGNS.