%C2%A9 Estate Robert Arneson %2F Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society %28ARS%29%2C NY
Viola with Gold, 1988
Robert Arnesonexpand_more
Glazed ceramic, giltexpand_more
Gift of various donors, by exchangeexpand_more 2001.216
On View in Gallery 322expand_more
Robert Arneson's portrait bust depicts fellow California-based artist Viola Frey (1933–2004). Both revolutionized figurative sculpture in clay and often turned their critical eye on themselves. Each made many self-portraits, ranging from hilariously irreverent to deeply confessional. In Arneson’s hands, Frey looks dreamily outward, oblivious to the daubs and smears of paint on her face. She is at one with the materials of her craft, transforming into the figures she crafted by hand. Her hollow head—painted blue, with specks suggesting stars—might represent the possibility of new creation, like a kiln before heating up.
Details
- Title
- Viola with Gold
- Artist Life
- 1930 - 1992
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 2001.216
- Curator Approved
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© Estate Robert Arneson / Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY