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Untitled (Water)

Artist Vija Celmins (American, born Latvia, 1939)
Date1975
MediumLithograph
DimensionsPlate: 12 3/8 x 16 3/8 inches (31.43 x 41.58 cm)
Sheet: 16 3/8 x 20 inches (41.58 x 50.8 cm)
Framed: 22 5/8 x 28 3/8 x 1 3/4 inches (57.48 x 72.09 x 4.45 cm)
Credit LineGift of the Print Society
Object numberF89-3
Edition/State/Proof59/75
On View
Not on view
Collections
Gallery Label
What happens when realism and abstraction meet? Vija Celmins’ image of waves rippling the surface of water is rendered in fine detail. She has carefully caught every nuance in the play of light and shadow. Yet without reference to the shore or human presence, this realistic depiction of waves becomes abstract pattern. The cropped image suggests the vastness of the sea and the infinite reach of the mind. Celmins has taken us to the water and mesmerized us with its rhythm.
Copyright© Vija Celmins
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