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Noted as a “visual anthropologist of contemporary American culture,”[3] she often explored myriad themes simultaneously, all of which built her visual vocabulary. Frey’s training as a painter and passion for clay allowed her to work between two- and three-dimensional pieces at the same time with ease. Her personal and often easily recognizable iconography includes the grandmother, suited men, gloves, and bric-a-brac collected from flea markets, among many others. Her largest sculptures were treated as three-dimensional canvases; oversized plates served as a lens to “sketch” with clay; and “junk” sculptures were assembled using molded objects cast from her throw-away figurine collection.

In 1984, Frey’s sculptures were exhibited at the Whitney Museum of American Art, and  showcased larger-than-life ceramic figures alongside plates, bricolages, and paintings. Curator Patterson Sims wrote, “…Clay is but one of the media Frey employs and it is only the starting point for her creative concerns. Content more than refinement of craft is her ultimate objective. Frey transcends the functionalism and intimacy of scale usually connected with clay in order to employ [clay and other media] as a vehicle of cultural expression.”[4]

During her lifetime, Frey made thousands of artworks demonstrating her unrelenting commitment and perseverance to her studio practice. Her artworks and legacy continues to influence and inspire people today.