Contemporary Art
Loosely defined as the art of today or the art of our lifetime, the term “contemporary art” is usually used more specifically to describe artworks created since the 1980s or 1990s. For collection purposes, the Frye Art Museum currently delineates the scope as 1990 to the present.
In the more general sense, the Frye has collected and exhibited contemporary—or contemporaneous—art since its opening in 1952. This commitment to the art and culture of the present was catalyzed by Museum founders Charles and Emma Frye, who amassed a collection of paintings made within their own lifetimes and often purchased works directly from living artists. Over the last seven decades, directors of the Museum have each brought their own interests and interpretations to bear on the Frye’s engagement with contemporary art and thereby shaped a distinctive collection.
Prior to the tenure of Elsa “Midge” Bowman (Director, 2004–09), and often counter to dominant trends in art of the time, the Frye’s leadership focused exclusively on exhibiting and collecting representational art, citing Charles and Emma Frye’s preferences for figurative and landscape painting. Under Bowman’s direction, the exhibitions program at the Frye expanded into areas like video art and performance that questioned and upended the definition of representational art. In 2008, the Museum’s mission was revised to embrace art in its myriad forms. The Frye’s contemporary art collection has grown significantly since that time, reflecting the diversity of the institution’s engagement with local, national, and international artists working today.
by Artist
by Artist
by Year
by Object Type
Still Lives: Exposure
Susie J. Lee
Digital video (color, silent); 30 min.
2010
Untitled
Isaac Layman
Photographic construction, inkjet on paper
2011
Untitled
Isaac Layman
Photographic construction, inkjet on paper
2011
Cuckoo Crow: Transformation
Degenerate Art Ensemble
Digital video (color, sound); 7:14 min.
2011
Cuckoo Crow: Hatchling
Degenerate Art Ensemble
DVD video (color, silent); 14:44 min.
2007
Untitled (Nail Harp)
Degenerate Art Ensemble
Steel, wood, guitar strings, nails
2005
Chest Harp 2
Degenerate Art Ensemble
Steel, guitar strings
2006
Chest Harp 1
Degenerate Art Ensemble
Steel, guitar strings
2006
Panthrastic Harp Zither
Degenerate Art Ensemble
Steel, wood, harp strings, antique instrument parts
2005
Deerlegs
Degenerate Art Ensemble
Wood, steel, rubber, PVC pipe, cable, microphone, transmitter
2007
The Dorothy K: Small Ether Machine
Implied Violence
Wood, cloth, felt, glass, metal, plastic, twine
2010
The Dorothy K: Bow Dress
Implied Violence
Silk, satin, lace, steel ring, and cable
2010
The Dorothy K: Large Claw
Implied Violence
Cardboard, wood, wire, rope, LED lights
2010
Little Meat Thief
Mark Ryden
Giclée print
2005
Five Capital Punishments in China: Drawing and Quartering
Zhi Lin
Acrylic and silkscreen over charcoal underdrawing on canvas with cotton curtain and ribbons
2007
Prayer Before the Night
Henk Pander
Oil on linen
1992
Curse You, Peter Pan...!
David Horsey
Graphite, pen, and ink on illustration board
1998
Beltway Apocalypse
David Horsey
Graphite, pen, and ink on illustration board
1998
David Horsey's Expanding Universe
David Horsey
Graphite, pen, ink and watercolor on illustration board
2004
History Lesson
Bo Bartlett
Oil on canvas
2002
Study for Bridal Registry: Christmas Decorations
Andrew Raftery
Lithograph and chine collé
1997
Study for Bridal Registry: June Wedding
Andrew Raftery
Lithograph and chine collé
1997
Sketch of Mrs. Greathouse
Del Gish
Oil on board
2004
Sketch of Mrs. Greathouse
Del Gish
Charcoal on paper
2004
Portrait of Mrs. Greathouse
Del Gish
Oil on linen
2004
Afternoon Nap
Victoria Browning Wyeth
Gelatin silver print
1996
Still Life with Kumquats
James Aponovich
Oil on canvas
1993
Large Red Poppies I
Gary Bukovnik
Watercolor on paper
2002
Family Tides
Mark Spencer
Oil on canvas
2000
Untitled
Judith Glantzman
Pencil on paper
2002
Palouse Pattern III
Robert Weingarten
Inkjet print (Iris)
2001
Palouse Pattern I
Robert Weingarten
Inkjet print (Iris)
2001
Gallery with Triptych
Stan Washburn
Oil on canvas
1998
Seated Figure
Raoul F. Middleman
Charcoal and conté crayon on paper
1999
Flying Female #4
Michael Bergt
Colored pencil and gouache on paper
1998
My Mother
William Beckman
Oil on panel
2000
Seer
Ruth Weisberg
Monotype
1994
Fire
Lisa Zwerling
Oil on linen
1998
World of Wonders
Stephen Fisher
Graphite on paper
1991
Lilith and Woman
Lilian Broca
Graphite and spackle on panel
1999
Via del Pantheon
William H. Bailey
Pencil on paper
1997
Untitled
Robert McCurdy
Oil on canvas
1999
Giglio Sunday
Doug Safranek
Egg tempera on panel
1998
Between Life and Life
Will Barnet
Lithograph
1998
Engine 55, East Broome Street
Frederick Brosen
Watercolor on paper
1998
The Wait
Carol Mothner
Egg tempera on panel
1998
Great Notions
Byron Bratt
Mezzotint and acrylic wash
1990
Stereoscopic Viewer
Byron Bratt
Mezzotint and acrylic wash
1995