Vija Celmins

Ocean Surface Wood Engraving 2000

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About this artwork

Celmins's intense monochromatic images, based on photographs, focus on small and individual marks in the context of vastness. The images seem fragile because they record a specific human glimpse through a telescope or camera which is frozen in time. Celmins's serial exploration of her subjects, including ocean surfaces, allows the artist to exploit the distinct characteristics of the variety of media she uses. Celmins worked on this wood engraving for a number of years, beginning in 1995. She used an engraving tool rather than a knife to make detailed incisions which produce a variety of markings on the paper, from deep black to the white surface of the waves.

Updated before 2020

  • artist:
    Vija Celmins (born 1938) American
  • title:
    Ocean Surface Wood Engraving 2000
  • date created:
    2000
  • materials:
    Wood engraving on paper
  • measurements:
    20.70 x 25.70 cm (paper 52.70 x 43.70 cm); Framed: 56.60 x 47.80 x 3.80 cm
  • object type:
  • credit line:
    ARTIST ROOMS National Galleries of Scotland and Tate. Acquired jointly through The d'Offay Donation with assistance from the National Heritage Memorial Fund and Art Fund, 2008
  • accession number:
    AR00473
  • gallery:
  • artwork photographed by:
    Antonia Reeve
This artwork is part of Artist Rooms
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Vija Celmins

Vija Celmins