Man Standing on Woman's Thigh, 1985–1986.

A businessman acts as a puppet master, grasping the shoulders of a male nude, who is further constrained by bearing an amphora on his shoulder symbolizing the Portland Vase and the weight of Western civilization. The male nude, in turn, oppresses the reclining female nude (the largest figure of the ensemble, who resembles the artist), by standing on her thigh. The trio and the Portland Vase critique the patriarchy of the art world, but the meaning is also open-ended. Frey once commented, “If I have subject matter that deals with power—it can be good or bad. There’s always that ambivalence to it.”

LOOK FOR: The colorful glazes that give additional shading and shape to the figures.