Bigger, Better, More: The Art of Viola Frey at the Museum of Arts and Design

Published by Gallery Crawl, February 04, 2010

Despite the curator’s choice to subject the show to a modest half of a floor at MAD, Viola Frey’s monumental and imposing sculptures make the limited space satisfactory. They are accompanied by smaller wall sculptures and paintings, giving viewers an overview of Frey’s oeuvre. Originally from Lodi, California, Frey routinely frequented flea markets in Oakland and San Francisco, acquiring ceramic trinkets and figurines. Examples of these found objects, which most consider kitsch, are encased in the back corner of the exhibition. Viola Frey described them as "the trifles that fill the cottages of thousands of people, things briefly cherished and then [thrown] out." This prompted Frey to transform traditionally disposable bric-à-brac into larger-than-life sculptures one cannot ignore, or effortlessly discard. She did this through a process of assemblage termed bricolage and using ceramic as her primary medium.