Strata
Artist
Vija Celmins
(American (born Latvia), born 1938)
CultureAmerican
Date1982
MediumColored mezzotint
DimensionsOverall: 29 1/2 x 35 1/2 in. (74.9 x 90.2 cm)
SignedLower right edge, Vija Clemins
Inscribed26/37
Vija Celmins
PortfolioNo. 26 of 37
Credit LineMuseum purchase
Object number84.179
Not on view
DescriptionOne color mezzotint made from 25 individual copper mezzotint plates each measuring 4 ¾ x 5 7/8" mounted on a single aluminum plate; inked and printed as one. Label TextVija Celmins American, b. Latvia, 1938 Strata, 1982 Colored mezzotint (print) To depict the millions of stars that light up the galaxy, Vija Celmins pressed tiny dots into dozens of small copper plates, printing them on a single sheet as a star chart. Celmins began depicting vast natural landscapes in the 1960s, when Pop art was gaining international attention. Her meticulous representations of the sea, the desert, and the night sky, however, contrast with Pop art’s attraction to the bright colors and throwaway materials of consumer culture. Working for months or years on a single image, Celmins devotes herself to detail, expressing a meditative attention to order often neglected in the fast-paced modern world. Museum purchase 84.179 ProvenanceThe artist, New York, NY, 1982; David Mckee, Inc., New York, NY, 1984; Museum purchase, Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA, 1984.Exhibition History"Remix: A Fresh Look At Our Modern And Contemporary Art Collections," Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, Virginia, November 2, 2011 - March 17, 2012. "Remix Redux: A Fresh Mix For Our Modern And Contemporary Galleries," Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, Virginia, August 15 - December 30, 2012. "Making and Meaning: Selections from the Chrysler Museum of Art Collection," Baron and Ellin Gordon Art Galleries, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, June 1 - August 11, 2013.
