Author Description

So horrified by 'the Bomb's' potential to obliterate life, New Mexican artist Tony Price (1937-2000) was inspired to create his prophetic and visionary body of work he called Atomic Art. For more than thirty years, this self-proclaimed 'hippie' - a contemporary of such counterculture icons including Bob Dylan - recycled scrap materials he uncovered from the salvage yard at Los Alamos National Laboratory, the birthplace of the atomic bomb, and a site just a stone's throw away from his home. The resulting series of mask sculptures are infused with Price's sardonic sense of humor, which mitigated the terrifying nature of his chosen subject. This catalogue is companion to an exhibition organised by The Museum of Fine Arts in Santa Fe and the Museum of New Mexico Travelling Exhibitions.