It’s All Part of the Clay: Viola Frey | 1984

Essay by Patterson Sims; interview of Viola Frey conducted by Garth Clark
Moore College of Art, Philadelphia, PA

“Clay has traditionally been associated with craft rather than with fine art in America, so that Viola Frey, who works primarily in ceramic, has not received the full recognition as a serious sculptor and painter. In fact, 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 her craft is her ultimate objective. Frey transcends the functionalism and intimacy of scale usually connected with clay in order to employ this medium–along with painting, drawing, and most recently, bronze–as a vehicle of cultural explication.” – Patterson Sims

This exhibition publication includes an adaptation of Sims’ essay written for Frey’s 1984 solo exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art, as well as an interview transcript between Viola Frey and Garth Clark. The accompanying exhibition of the same name, traveled to three locations and featured monumental figurative sculpture, bricolage sculpture, plates, and paintings on paper and canvas.

Soft Cover, staple bound
10 x 8.5 inches
24 pages, 20 black and white plates

$15