Celebrating Celmins

Time is running out to see Vija Celmins: To Fix the Image in Memory. As of August 5, the exhibition will say goodbye to the AGO as it heads off to the Metropolitan Museum of Art (the Met) in New York City. Seeing is believing. And you definitely want to take a trip to the AGO to see the beautifully rendered drawings of ocean waves and night skies. To prove it’s worth the visit, we’ve gathered some of the reviews and visitor responses, praising the intricate details and extraordinary artistic processes of this titan of contemporary art.

The Toronto Star dove headfirst into Celmins’s intense artmaking process, stating that some of the ocean waves, night skies, spiderwebs and lunar surfaces “evoke wonder, others are funny, at least a few are sinister.” The review sums up the exhibition, noting that “with focus and repetition, [Celmins] turns the familiar into a curiosity.”

Akimbo’s review of the show noted the meditative quality many visitors experienced while looking closely at all the intricate details. “In a time when we look at hundreds of random and disjointed images a day, this is a welcomed opportunity to allow oneself to be captivated…”

As a young girl, Celmins’s parents immigrated to the United States from Latvia. Showing pride for the work of a fellow Latvian, the newspaper Latvija Amerikā wrote a review of the exhibition calling it “apbrīnojamo… īsts

meistarības un mākslinieciskās prakses paraugdemonstrējums,” – which roughly translates to “amazing… a demonstration of true craftsmanship and artistry.” 

The exhibition is “magnificent,” according to The Globe and Mail. In its review, praise was offered up for the incredible photograph-like realism Celmins achieves, mentioning that “…her technical mastery of the painted or drawn surface does create a remarkable illusion of reality.”

Critics aren’t the only ones impressed with the show. Visitors are blown away by the beauty and precision of Celmins’s work. Here are some of our favourite posts from Instagram.

Admission to the AGO Collection and all special exhibitions is always free for AGO members, AGO annual pass holders, and visitors 25 and under. For more information, visit the website.