Rust, a homeware collection by French designer Ariane Prin’s London-based studio, Prin London, subtly turns science into art. The collection includes trays, vases, cachepots, and bowls, that come in a variety of sizes and color ranges. Made out of gypsum mixed with waste metal dust from workshops across the city, Rust leverages metal’s natural oxidation process to create organic patterns in its finishes.
Courtesy Prin London
Each piece is handmade in individual molds and— due to the controlled oxidation process—requires a different duration for its completion. They are also coated in a soft to touch finish in order to reduce further oxidation. A small, brass tag bearing the artist’s signature is the only part of the product that is not finished; it will eventually develop a patina.
Courtesy Prin London
New to the collection is a clock series called Rust Timepiece. These clocks are the only objects that fully remain unvarnished, and therefore, are susceptible to additional oxidization with time. They are assembled from 12 slices of the gypsum-metal mixture and keep time with a Universal Time Standard German quartz.
Courtesy Prin London
Courtesy Prin London
Courtesy Prin London
This article is part of a weekly series spotlighting the latest in innovative products and materials. Read more of ARCHITECT’s Object of the Moment coverage here.