Inez

Ken Price, Inez, 2010, earthenware and acrylic paint, 7 x 8 x 7 ³⁄₄ in. (17.8 x 20.3 x 19.7 cm) (irreg.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the James F. Dicke Family, 2014.12.13, © 2010, Ken Price, Inc.

Artwork Details

Title: Inez
Artist: Ken Price
Date: 2010
Location: Not on view
Dimensions: 7 x 8 x 7 ³⁄₄ in. (17.8 x 20.3 x 19.7 cm) (irreg.)
Copyright: © 2010, Ken Price, Inc.
Credit Line: Gift of the James F. Dicke Family
Mediums Description: earthenware and acrylic paint
Classifications: Sculpture
Subjects: Abstract
Object Number: 2014.12.13
Linked Open Data: https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/2014.12.13

Artwork Description

Inez, one of Ken Price’s last works, exemplifies the artist’s characteristic style of fluid asymmetry and smooth, abstract forms. Price is frequently associated with the California "Finish Fetish” artists of the 1960s, a movement that emphasized the importance of fully completing every aspect of a piece, including its undersides and backsides. Inez is not glazed, but is coated with hundreds of layers of acrylic paint that have been sanded down to reveal the deeper layers of color. Price once said that he aimed to create surfaces that were so meticulously polished that they appear to be made entirely of color.