Phyllis Yes (b. 1941) is a seminal figure in Pacific Northwest contemporary art, renowned for her feminist critique of gender roles through the 'feminization' of stereotypically masculine objects. Holding a B.A. from Luther College, an M.A. from the University of Minnesota, and a Ph.D. from the University of Oregon, her academic background heavily informs her practice. The year 1978, when these etchings were produced, marks a profound personal and professional pivot: upon completing her doctorate, she changed her surname from Richardson to 'Yes' to embrace a positive, affirming identity and to be addressed as 'Dr. Yes.' She subsequently served as Chair of the Art Department and Dean of Arts and Humanities at Lewis & Clark College in Portland until 1998. Yes is best known nationally for her 1980s 'Lace' series—most notably 'Por She' (1984), a Porsche 911 meticulously painted with lace rosettes, and pieces featured in the Hechinger Collection's 'Tools as Art'. However, her late-1970s printmaking reflects her foundational engagement with feminist themes, actively reclaiming the female nude and focusing on unselfconscious agency. Her work is firmly canonized in the region, held in major institutional collections including the Portland Art Museum, the Hallie Ford Museum of Art, and the Museum of Art at the University of Oregon.

The valuation of Phyllis Yes’s prints requires triangulating her strong primary/retail gallery pricing with the secondary auction results of her Pacific Northwest academic peers, as her auction track record is notably thin. This scarcity is typical for institutionally collected professors whose works are often held in private collections or donated rather than actively flipped. Primary market listings for small, unique works by Yes—such as the 'Toast Series #5'—adjust to an established value of approximately $160 at retail. Conversely, at regional auctions, prints by her direct contemporaries, such as Portland academic printmaker George Johanson, command between $80 for less commercial subjects and $275 for top-tier lithographs. Fay Jones, another prominent regional female artist, sees small prints successfully estimate and trade in the $160-$320 range. Applying this hierarchy to the subject trio, a single vintage Phyllis Yes etching from her pivotal 1978-1979 era would conservatively carry an auction value of $100-$150. Offered as a unified lot of three—and bolstered by the rarity of the Artist's Proof (A/P) designations—the collection warrants a fair market auction estimate of $300 to $500. This valuation presumes a regional sale in the Pacific Northwest, where her academic and institutional standing is most acutely recognized.