Feral cats have no names, no homes, and no owners. Yet they exist, can be seen, and even interact with humans — sometimes. Despite this, they remain wild animals, untamed and unnamed. For local artist Lucy Fricke, this lack of identity mirrors how her art exposes the wildness of the human soul. 

“Naming the exhibit was the hardest part,” Fricke said. When asked if her paintings had names, she responded, “No,” with a certain unwavering finality in her voice. It was as if the thought of naming them would be unthinkable.

Fricke, a junior painting major at the Rhode Island School of Design, was named the Audubon’s “artist in residence” this past summer. The work she created during her residency is now on display until Feb. 28, 2025. 

Fricke’s journey into art began at age ten when her mother enrolled her in an art class. At the time, she struggled with social anxiety, and the class helped her heal and learn to accept herself. 

Though she did not know it at the time, that class set Fricke on the path to becoming an artist. Years later, when thinking about her future, she realized art was the one thing she could always count on to be there for her. “Art is the most familiar part of my life. It was always there for me, so when I started thinking about my future, it had to be art,” she shared.

She realized that while society often pressures people to conform to practical career paths, she could not ignore her love for art. “Art is not something I can put on the back burner,” she said. “I am taking the risk,” she shared with confidence. Fricke, in the process of building a career around her passion, added some insight on taking risks: “You’re not really taught that you can accomplish that.”

The exhibit is wild and free

“One thing I learned through these pieces is to allow myself to take up space,” Fricke reflected. “With my social anxiety, I didn’t want to be seen or heard. But these pieces feel very loud. It’s like I’m apologizing to the younger me.” 

A recurring theme in Fricke’s work is the Sphinx. “I love her because she proves that the unlabeled and ‘other’ have strength despite how society wants them to be viewed. I seek to show the value of the untamable in this work,” Fricke added.

The approach to the art she created for this particular exhibit was different than most of her other work. Here, she did not focus as much on animal themes as she has in the past, though the Sphinx and polar bear do make an appearance. Instead, she used her senses to become more free and open in her artwork, using more color and spontaneity — the exhibit abounds with a certain freeness and fearlessness.

Her exhibit, “Wild Ground: A Window Between Worlds,” is on display through Feb. 28, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium. The paintings in the exhibit remain nameless, further emphasizing Fricke’s belief in allowing her audience to form their own interpretations.