I really enjoyed the Viola Frey exhibit at the Nancy Hoffman Gallery. Lately I have been feeling like much of art has gotten further away from the human figure, which has made gallery visits a bit disappointing for me. However, I was immediately interested in the shear size and bold determination of the large figure in the corner of the room. I am really interested in the way that Viola Frey is successfully able to make a connection between her two-dimensional work and the three-dimensional work. That connection is something that I strive for in my own work and it is really refreshing to see an artist who is able to make both forms of work equally as captivating.
Perhaps it was the colors, or maybe the subject matter being the human form, but there is something very classical and timeless about Viola Frey’s work. The bold forms and loud sometimes clashing colors seemed to give it a quality that reminded me of the work of Gauguin. The fact that Frey has so many monumental works on such a large scale made me consider a very interesting perspective on woman and ceramics. What I mean is, in the past, ceramics was considered a very safe activity to keep woman occupied and busy (for example, the original usage of china painting and such). However, Frey’s work is anything but safe. The sheer size of her vases and figures, and electric colors are a huge endeavor for anyone to undertake, and it’s very ironic that a woman does all this work!