Magnetic Dust

Magnetic Dust reclaims steel dust, a byproduct of metal fabrication, to produce a series of handmade papers with magnetic properties. Using fine steel residue collected from Pratt Institute’s fabrication labs and blended with recycled white paper pulp, the sheets are formed through a process of sifting, mixing, and hand-pulling. Their rust-colored tone emerges not from pigment but from the natural oxidation of the embedded steel, giving each sheet a living, shifting quality. The magnetic response was not engineered but discovered, shifting the project from material recovery to an inquiry into unexpected behavior. As these papers attract small metal fragments, they act as both surface and sensor, capturing traces of labor and place. Rather than serve a fixed function, the work invites reflection on waste, value, and the potential for transformation through design.