Lady in Blue and Yellow Dress

Viola Frey, Lady in Blue and Yellow Dress, 1983, glazed earthenware, overall: approx. 107 x 28 x 33 in. (271.8 x 71.1 x 83.8 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the James Renwick Alliance, 1994.37.2A-G

Artwork Details

Title: Lady in Blue and Yellow Dress
Artist: Viola Frey
Date: 1983
Location: Not on view
Dimensions: overall: approx. 107 x 28 x 33 in. (271.8 x 71.1 x 83.8 cm)
Credit Line: Gift of the James Renwick Alliance
Mediums: metal
ceramic
Mediums Description: glazed earthenware
Classifications: Decorative Arts
Subjects: Figure female — full length
Object Number: 1994.37.2A-G
Linked Open Data: https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1994.37.2A-G

Artwork Description

Viola Frey once said that she sculpted figures because in her hometown of Lodi, California, there was nothing else to portray but the women in printed dresses walking through town on Sundays. Lady in Blue and Yellow Dress also recalls the Asian and pre-Columbian sculptures that the artist admired (Viola Frey, exhibition catalogue, Fresno Art Museum, 1991). The figure makes a gesture with her hands that in Japanese and Chinese statuary symbolizes speaking or singing. After her first two attempts collapsed, Frey began creating her monumental works out of individual pieces of fired clay that, when fitted together, stabilized the sculptures so that they would not fail.