Vija Celmins (b. 1938) Drypoint - Ocean Surface (Second State), 1985 Drypoint on Arches paper 24 x 19 inches (61.0 x 48.3 cm) (sheet) Ed. 20/55 (part of a tirage of 75, variously editioned) Signed and editioned in pencil along lower edge; publisher's chop mark lower right Published and printed by Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles LITERATURE: Gemini G.E.L., 9.11. The sea breathes softly. Gentle waves rise and fall, inviting meditative peace with each graceful undulation that echoes across an endless horizon. In Vija Celmins' hands, the ocean ceases to be a place or a mere backdrop; instead, it becomes an essence, a contemplation on solitude, and a whisper of the eternal. Celmins approaches the sea with a dedication that mirrors nature: tiny, repetitive marks grow into waves, each stroke as steady and unyielding as the tides. Her meditative process becomes almost ritual, where the act of creation feels as continuous as the ocean's tides. Every delicate mark, a reflection of her patience and presence, serves to capture not just the surface of the sea but the passage of time itself, held within the slow, rhythmic ripples. It is an image in which one could drift, encountering the quiet strength of Celmins' discipline within the seemingly gentle patterns of her work. Lulled by a boundless surface, viewers find themselves unmarked by any familiar anchor, with no containing horizon or shoreline. The scene becomes an infinite plane of shifting silvery greys, alive yet profoundly still, like a meditation held between breaths. As one steps closer, what seemed an almost photographic replication of the ocean begins to reveal the artist's hand—a textured world of fine lines and layered hatching. Celmins has managed to capture not just water but its essence: light and shadow play delicately across each wave, giving a sense of depth and a pull that could sweep the viewer out into the unknown. This blurring of realism and abstraction invites one into a dual perception—an ocean that stretches forever and a tapestry of marks crafted with intimate care. In each subtle curve and line, Celmins shares with us not only her view of the sea but her process of seeing, her journey of distilling something as immense as the ocean into something tender and immediate. Celmins choice of drypoint—a method that retains the ink with a rich, textured burr—adds a sense of depth and tactility; the darkness of each mark against lighter spaces creates an intricate, almost velvety surface. Each stroke holds a quiet drama, capturing the push and pull of the waves with a precision that feels as organic as it does intentional. Celmins' ocean, in its profound simplicity, encourages viewers to drift into contemplation, to lose themselves in the tension between what is seen and what lies beyond perception. With each subtle line and shade shift, Celmins invites viewers to find themselves at this edge, caught between the known and the infinite, between tranquility and the vast, boundless unknown. HID12401132022 © 2024 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved www.HA.com/TexasAuctioneerLicenseNotice