Museum-Made Accessories

By ERICA ORDEN
May 13, 2008

Two museums are giving their artists new life with wearable art.

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The Guggenheim Museum's new jewelry line is literally a chip off the old block. Made from remnants of the Guggenheim's Frank Lloyd Wright building, which were collected during the museum's 2007 restoration, "Restoration Rocks" is a collection of earrings, pendants, bracelets, a ring, and cuff links. The fragments, composed mostly of the building material gunite, were cast in resin and set in sterling silver by California-based jeweler Cara Tilker. The collection, which begins at $175, is available at the Guggenheim's retail store and on its Web site. Several pieces are available in 14-karat gold, by commission.

Meanwhile, those eager to own a piece of the rock 'n' roll aesthetic flaunted by artist Daniel Guzman in his current show at the New Museum are in luck. To complement the current exhibit, "Double Album: Daniel Guzman and Steven Shearer," the museum's store is offering a limited-edition, 22-karat, gold-plated necklace designed by Mr. Guzman.

The provocative chain, which is inscribed with the words esclavo y amo, Spanish for "slave and master," is on sale for $500 at the museum store. The necklace's inscription, Mr. Guzman said, is based on a line from a Mexican tune by Javier Solis, a favorite singer of the artist's father.

A local jeweler, Gabriel Urist, whose studio is on Elizabeth Street in NoLIta, constructed Mr. Guzman's design. Though Mr. Urist is known for his sports-themed jewelry, he is no stranger to collaborating with artists. He has worked previously with visual artists such as Matthew Barney and Tom Otterness, as well as fashion designers including Zac Posen and Narciso Rodriguez.

Mr. Guzman, a Mexican artist who lives and works in Mexico City, explores rock culture through painting, sculpture, and installation. Among his works on display at the New Museum are "Sunshine State" (2005), a sculpture of a black skull with gold chains pouring from its eye sockets, and "Kiss my ass" (1996), a cartoonish rendering of the band Kiss.