Viola Frey
(American, 1933–2004)
Biography
Viola Frey was an American sculptor known for her large-scale ceramic depictions of men and women. Though primarily focused on ceramics, her glazing process showed her ability to work with abstract color relationships. “If you make it [art] based on what is stylish, or acceptably good, then you have nowhere to take it,” Frey once said. Born on August 15, 1933 in Lodi, CA, she grew up on her family’s vineyard, taking an interest in art from an early age. The artist went on to study at the California College of Arts and Crafts, where she graduated with a BFA in 1956. Two years later, after studying under Mark Rothko and George Rickey at Tulane University, she completed her MFA. The recipient of two National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships and an American Craft Council Fellowship, one of her greatest achievements was cofounding The Artists’ Legacy Foundation with the artist Squeak Carnwath. Frey died on July 26, 2004 in Oakland, CA. Today, her works are included in the collections of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C., and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
Viola Frey Artworks
Viola Frey
(258 results)
.jpg "Urn B (pair)")
.jpg "Urn B (pair)")
.jpg "Self portrait (from Crocker series II), 1979")
.jpg "Ferret with barbell (in 2 parts), 1960–1970")
.jpg "Bricolage figure (in 7 parts), 1980–1988")
English (US)
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