by Artist (6)
Viola Frey
American, 1933–2004
The work within the Montgomery Museum of Fine Art's permanent collection is titled Halo of Possessions. It contains all of the defining markers of the later period of Frey’s plates, including high-sculptural relief, a buildup of slip cast objects, and black Egyptian paste to frame, define, and anchor the subjects found within the plate’s rim. The slip-cast objects come from Frey’s varied collection of bric-a-brac, which she found and bought at her local and frequently-visited flea market in Alameda, California. Within the piece is the figure of a man in a bowler hat, a horse, and a vase. Frey liked to record people in their surroundings, and the halo of slip-cast objects, or possessions, around the figure highlight a growing trend towards consumerism in American culture. It is indicative of a recurring theme in Frey’s work, which is the “uneasy relationship between people and their possessions” and her focus on aesthetics, politics, and 20th century culture.
American, 1933–2004
Halo of Possessions
1994
Object Type:
Ceramic
Dimensions:
25 x 25 x 6 in. (64 x 64 x 15 cm)
Medium and Support:
Glazed ceramic
Accession Number:
2019.0003.0001
Credit Line:
Gift of Mark and Amy Johnson
Copyright:
© Artists' Legacy Foundation/Licensed by ARS, New York.
The work within the Montgomery Museum of Fine Art's permanent collection is titled Halo of Possessions. It contains all of the defining markers of the later period of Frey’s plates, including high-sculptural relief, a buildup of slip cast objects, and black Egyptian paste to frame, define, and anchor the subjects found within the plate’s rim. The slip-cast objects come from Frey’s varied collection of bric-a-brac, which she found and bought at her local and frequently-visited flea market in Alameda, California. Within the piece is the figure of a man in a bowler hat, a horse, and a vase. Frey liked to record people in their surroundings, and the halo of slip-cast objects, or possessions, around the figure highlight a growing trend towards consumerism in American culture. It is indicative of a recurring theme in Frey’s work, which is the “uneasy relationship between people and their possessions” and her focus on aesthetics, politics, and 20th century culture.
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