Concentric Bearings A 1984

Vija Celmins made this print, Concentric Bearings A, with etching, aquatint and drypoint. Just imagine the amount of labour involved in the making! It's made up of two panels, next to each other: on the left, a dense, glittering expanse of stars, and on the right, a machine of circles. Each mark feels deliberate, a testament to the artist's concentrated efforts and precise execution. The texture is particularly compelling – you can almost feel the grain of the paper beneath your fingertips. The overall effect is one of depth, the cosmos on the one hand, and human ingenuity on the other. The contrast is stark, and yet each section is brought to life through the artist's hand. I am reminded of Sol Lewitt’s prints and drawings, where process becomes the very subject. Ultimately, Celmins’ work encourages us to consider the boundless possibilities of artmaking, where even the simplest of subjects can become profound meditations on space, time, and existence.