Launch part of 50th Anniversary Celebration
(
New York,
NY) -- The Guggenheim Museum announces the release of Restoration Rocks,
a special edition jewelry line -- made with Gunite remnants of the
Frank Lloyd Wright building – and distributed exclusively at the
Guggenheim
Museum ’s retail store and on its
website. Designed and fabricated by California-based jewelry artist,
Cara Tilker, the collection features nine different designs including
earrings, pendants, bracelets, a ring, and cuff links. Each piece
incorporates actual historic fragments of Frank Lloyd Wright’s landmark
Guggenheim
Museum , which is celebrating its 50th
anniversary in 2009. Lightweight concrete and Gunite remnants, set
aside during the 2007 restoration process from the building’s walls,
are presented in resin and sterling silver settings.
Tilker
makes each jewelry piece through a labor-intensive process. Resin is
poured into a handmade silicone rubber mold, then individual building
fragments are placed in the resin, covered with a second layer of resin
and allowed to set. After the resin pieces are released from the mold,
they are hand-shaped and sanded, and finally set in sterling silver
settings.
A minimal
amount of Gunite—a mixture of cement and sand aggregate, and the
jewelry’s featured component—was removed from the building as was
deemed necessary for its restoration, and saved. The material, which
comes from the interior and exterior of the building, was removed in
order to gain access to reinforce points of the exterior wall to
preserve its structural integrity. Material was also removed from
damaged sections of the exterior in order to replace it with more
stable material.
Restoration Rocks
is a component of the planned 2009 50th Anniversary celebration. The
building is judged by many to be one of the architectural wonders of
the world.
The Restoration Rocks
jewelry will be limited in quantity with retail prices starting at
$125.00. Several select designs from the line will be also available in
14-karat gold, by commission.
Hi-Res images are available.
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation
New York,
NY
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT:
Rubenstein Communications, Inc.
Marisa Wayne
Phone : 212-843-9216
Email : mwayne@rubenstein.com