Constellation - Uccello

Editor: Vija Celmins' "Constellation - Uccello" features a night sky juxtaposed with a linear rendering of what seems to be a vase. What is the symbolic weight of these images placed together? Curator: The pairing is evocative, isn't it? The night sky, a field of infinite potential, meeting the urn, a vessel, often a symbol of memory and containment. What stories might this juxtaposition tell about how we hold onto and understand our place in the cosmos? Editor: So, it's about memory? How does the vase relate? Curator: The urn, rendered in this almost skeletal, geometric form, suggests a rational attempt to define and contain something as vast and unknowable as the night sky. A cultural impulse, perhaps? Editor: That makes sense. I guess the vase is a symbol. Curator: Yes, each image is a constellation of cultural meanings. Editor: Fascinating!