Vija Celmins (Phaidon Contemporary Artist Series)

Vija Celmin's artworks testify to her undying fascination with the world around her, whether the commonplace objects in her studio; her childhood memories of wartorn Latvia; the natural landscapes of her adopted California; or the pebbles beneath her feet. Primarily a painter of still-life and landscape, Celmins is associated with 1960s Pop art, and often uses photographs as source material to create her signature 'impossible images', such as just-fired revolvers or exploding airplanes. Temporarily abandoning painting in the 1970s, Celmins turned her attention to drawing exquisite graphite seascapes and other vast natural landscapes.