Object Details
Artist
Kent Raible, born Berkeley, CA 1955
Luce Center Label
Kent Raible considers his jewelry pieces to be "tiny sacred temples" with a gem as the focal point. Although the artist rarely makes such complicated pieces, the concept for Floating City developed over two years and is the result of the artist’s desire "to make a more elaborate city full of these sacred places." Here, Raible conceived a futuristic floating metropolis inspired by the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind, by the Emerald City from The Wizard of Oz, and the legend of Atlantis. The randomly spaced diamonds in the middle section denote the rooms in the city where no one is home. The disks resembling flying saucers are the landing docks for the floating city.
Luce Object Quote
"For me, the Floating City represents the archetypal dwelling place of human potential, and, more personally, the fulfillment of my own aspirations and spiritual unfolding." Kent Raible
Credit Line
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the James Renwick Alliance
Date
1996
Object number
1996.37
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Type
Decorative Arts-Jewelry
Crafts
Medium
18K gold, chalcedony, chrome tourmaline, sapphires, amethysts and diamonds
Dimensions
10 1/4 x 5 3/8 x 1 in. (26.1 x 13.7 x 2.5 cm.)
See more items in
Smithsonian American Art Museum Collection
Department
Renwick Gallery
Data Source
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Topic
Dress\accessory\jewelry
Cityscape\imaginary
Link to Original Record
Record ID
saam_1996.37