Vija Celmins, a Latvian-born artist, has captivated the art world with her intricate depictions of spiderwebs, night skies, and ocean waves for over sixty years. Her comprehensive solo exhibition at Fondation Beyeler highlights her unique journey from everyday objects to images of war, illustrating her mastery over a range of mediums, particularly pencil. Celmins's shift from painting to pencil in 1968 allowed her to explore a deeper level of detail and precision, setting her apart from contemporaries focused on vibrant colors and pop art.
In 1968 Celmins's medium shifted. "I dropped paint," she says, "because I was not satisfied with it. I fell for the pencil-maybe so I could explore its ability to be dense yet precise."
Though she rarely offers verbal explanations, the clarity and intensity of her vision over the years are unmistakable," says Theodora Vischer, the chief curator of the Fondation Beyeler, which is hosting a comprehensive solo show of her work.
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