19

Vija Celmins

b. 1938, Latvian/American

"Untitled (Desert)," 1971

Color lithograph on paper, watermark Arches, under Plexiglas
Edition: Artist's Proof (one of 12; the edition was 65); Signed, dated and inscribed in pencil in the lower margin: V. Celmins; Ed Hamilton, prntr.; Cirrus Editions, Ltd., Los Angeles, pub.
Image: 21" H x 27.625" W; Sheet: 22.5" H x 29" W

  • Provenance: Sold: Museum of Contemporary Art, "MOCA Art Auction '90," Los Angeles, CA
    Private Collection, California
  • Exhibited: "MOCArtAuction '88," Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, CA
    "MOCA Art Auction '90," The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, CA
  • Literature: Rippner p. 49
  • Notes: Artist Vija Celmins (b. 1938, Latvian/American) immigrated to the United States in the 1940s before pursuing arts education in Indiana and at Yale University. In 1962, Celmins moved to Los Angeles to pursue a master's degree at UCLA, a period during which her work morphed into the diligently rendered portrayals of naturally occurring phenomenon that she is known for. Celmins resided in the Los Angeles area until 1981 before moving to New York where she currently lives and works.

    "Untitled (Desert)" dates to a period in Celmin's career when she began exploring the possibilities of printmaking when it came to the depiction of natural objects. This work in an Artist's Proof which was previously featured in a fundraising auction for the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles in 1990. It is being offered for sale from a Private Collection for the first time in over 30 years.

    Celmins has had over forty solo exhibitions and is included in more than 20 permanent museum collection, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Centre Pompidou in Paris, and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
  • Condition: Generally good condition. With full margins, deckled all around. Pale time staining showing mostly in the deckled edges. Framed floating and hinged to the back mat.

    Frame: 23.25" H x 29.75" W x 1.5" D

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March 1, 2022 12:00 PM PST
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