Night Sky 2 Reversed 2002

Vija Celmins made this gorgeous print called Night Sky 2 Reversed, and it shimmers like the real thing, but totally rendered and remade. It is from a series, I know, but let's focus on the painting. The canvas is like a milky dream, and each tiny star feels like a decision, a tiny mark of attention. I can almost see her, Celmins, in her studio, carefully placing each dot, probably using a tiny brush or some other ingenious tool. What was she thinking, staring at a photo of the night sky? The cool thing about Celmins is that she is so different from me, but she has a related interest in 'the all-over' - the surface of a painting as a location. I'm obsessed with how a single gesture can change everything. Like Agnes Martin, Celmins uses repetition and subtle variation to create a meditative space. But there's also something scientific about it, like she is mapping the universe. It reminds me that artists are always in conversation, riffing off each other's ideas and obsessions. It is a testament to the power of quiet observation and the endless possibilities of painting.