Rarities

Rarities is a wearable art piece that explores the concept of rare metals and their beauty. It was funded by the Kuhlman Scholarship and displayed in the Jill Stuart Gallery at Cornell University.

 

One very important material necessary to produce smart phones and other technologies is the category of metals known as rare earth metals. Rare earth metals include neodymium, terbium, and europium. Despite the name, many of these metals are actually quite abundant, although they do tend to be elusive as they occur together and are difficult to separate from the minerals in which they lie hidden. Some uses of these metals include solar panels, lasers, color television screens, glass production, and more. There are many applications for these materials, which include applications in both the industrial and medical fields.

 

This piece is an exploration of something that is rarely used in rare earth metals – their aesthetic qualities. While they are mainly used for functionality, these metals can be extremely beautiful. This piece highlights the beauty of these metals. The top of piece is formed with hard flat edges to show the angularity that these metals can have. This effect was achieved using a 3-D printer for the bodice. Farther down, the piece follows the soft curves of the body to demonstrate the smooth elegance of metal. The softness is achieved with crocheted metallic yarn with metal rings attached to add weight to the crochet.