Vija Celmins (American, born Riga, Latvia, 1938), Drypoint—Ocean Surface (Between First and Second State), 1985. One-color drypoint on Rives BFK paper, 9 3/16 × 11 5/16 in. (23.4 × 28.7 cm) Plate: 7 13/16 × 9 7/8 in. (19.8 × 25.1 cm) Framed: 27 5/8 × 20 9/16 in. (70.1 × 52.2 cm). Vija Celmins © 2016 Vija Celmins

After completing and printing the first state of this intricate ocean image, Celmins wanted to repeat the experience, so she redrew the image on the plate with an etching needle. This proof impression, made halfway through the process, shows the reworked darkened area below the still-pale tones found in the first state. Only after pulling this artist proof did she finish her work as a second state. The ocean image, translated from photographs into different media, holds an important place in the artist’s oeuvre. With its suspended character, this drypoint is a remarkable exception in Celmins’s usually highly finished production. Yet, it beautifully conveys her intense focus and laborious artistic practice, in which she can sometimes take months to turn the surface of an artwork into a field of visual incidents. 

This work is exhibited in the "Unfinished: Thoughts Left Invisible" exhibition, on view through September 4th, 2016. #MetBreuer