Viola Frey

Group Series: Questioning Woman 1

1988

  • Glazed earthenware
  • 108 x 33 x 28 in. (274.3 x 83.8 x 71.1 cm)
  • Museum purchase with funds provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, matching funds from the Associates of the American Craft Museum, and contributions from the general public, 1991
  • 1991.1a-m

glossary terms

glaze, earthenware

material

Ceramic

location

On View, 3rd Floor Gallery, North Wall

inscriptions

"Woman w/ Blue Dot" on underside of steel base

curator’s statement

Like many of the large figural ceramics for which Viola Frey is known, Group Series: Questioning Woman I has bright colors and a high-gloss finish. She began working on these signature pieces, in monumental scale with painted surfaces, in the late 1970s. The works stand about nine feet high, and has noticeable seams, as they were constructed from separate pieces bolted together like pieces of a very large puzzle. While the structures themselves had to be meticulously planned and executed, the glazing could be a more spontaneous effort; clothing was colored and features were sketched in Frey's loose, bold style. Typical of these forms, the figures are stylized and somewhat humorous, with 1950s style clothing and hairstyles.
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object description

Three-dimensional ceramic female figure in bright hues of red, yellow, orange, and blue. The piece has a high-gloss finish. The woman is in a standing position with her arms raised almost to her face. She has a stocky figure and exaggerated details, including a 1950s-style housecoat, hairstyle, and platform sandals. The work is made from several ceramic pieces joined together with visible seams.
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