Customer Reviews

Vija Celmins (Contemporary Artists (Phaidon))

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Ms. Celmins is one of the most original and both visually and mentally stimulating artists around. You can see some links to Pop Art in her stuff, and perhaps some of the Surrealist artists such as Magritte, but she has a very rich and individual take all her own. This book starts with a great interview by a fellow artist, Robert Gober, whom Ms. Celmins is obviously on good terms with. Then there is a biography, and representative pieces from her entire oeuvre spanning the period from the mid-60's up to the 2000's. They even include extracts from a short story by Jorge Luis Borges, "Funes, The Memorius" that influenced Ms. Celmins. There is a great survey written by a scholar from Northwestern University, and what the publisher calls a "Focus" written by a reader in the History of Art at University College, London, who discusses how Ms. Celmins drawings of photographs create another layer of distance, and is well written. I just wish it was longer. The book closes with an interview Ms. Celmins did with the artist Chuck Close whom she shares certain attitudes towards Pop Art.

The book is beautifully designed, and a pleasure to handle and read. My one gripe is they spread some of the best pictures across two pages to give them space I suppose, but it distracts me looking at the picture. If you are interested in Vija Celmins this is the perfect book to start with!

like all the other publication of Phaidon in this series this book is serious and has a nice content in texts and images

Beautiful design work as Vija Celmins. The book reflects an important part of his work.