GWEN LUX
Among America’s most pioneering sculptors was artist Gwen Lux, whose Expressions of Freedom soared over passengers in the First Class Dining Room. Born in Detroit, Michigan, and trained in art schools in the Midwest and Boston, Lux made a name for herself at the young age of 24 when she was commissioned to create sculptures for New York City’s Radio City Music Hall.
Image courtesy of Robert G. Lenzer
Lux’s experiments with nontraditional materials made her uniquely capable to handle the stringent safety requirements for sculpture aboard the SS United States. While she originally planned to cast the piece in plaster, Lux compromised with ship designer William Francis Gibbs and ultimately went with a lightweight foamglas: a fireproof material. In fact, Lux championed the use of the sturdy material for future artists. Using files rather than chisels, Gwen Lux carved her five foot tall Expressions of Freedom from foamglas blocks. The four main figures in her work were meant to symbolize ‘American Life,’ blending into the Americana theme found on board the SS United States. In addition to the four main figures that are commonly associated with the piece, Lux sculpted smaller eagles, as well as medallions to represent each state.
Details of Gwen Lux’s Expressions of Freedom sculpture, these pieces hung adjacent to the well known central figures associated with the work.