Artists on Agnes Martin

In this 7th publication from Dia’s “Artists on Artists” series, Vija Celmins, Jennie C. Jones, Jutta Koether and Zoe Leonard reveal profound insights about the American abstract painter and sometime-filmmaker Agnes Martin (1912–2004). Celmins shares affinities with Martin’s focus on the field and the picture plane while admiring the artist’s rigor and consistency. Jones explores the impact of solitude and inspiration on Martin’s work while also connecting the grid to sonic notation and patterns. Koether deploys a Derridean analysis to highlight and destabilize contradictions within the artist’s work, while Leonard finds poetic and personal revelations in Martin’s commitment to repetition. All four contributions issue heartfelt invitations to reapproach the artist’s work from new angles. 

Introduction by Matilde Guidelli-Guidi. 

[publishers’ note]