Smooth Surface

Three-dimensional artworks and design objects with a smooth surface, either by virtue of the natural texture of the materials used or as the result of a process of finishing or manipulating these materials. Throughout Western art history, figurative sculptures—especially marble ones—were routinely finished to mimic the smooth texture of skin. With the turn to abstraction in the early 20th century, artists continued to create smoothly finished artworks—Brancusi, for one, considered the finish of his works to be highly important due to his interest in representing the “essence of things”.