vitality

by Annie Hejny

At once luminous and unrevealing, Vitality recreates the human experience of looking into a body of water and wondering about all that happens, unseen, beneath the surface. Fitting to its subject, this abstract painting involves more than meets the casual eye. Annie Hejny traveled the 120-mile stretch of the Mississippi River between St. Paul and Winona, Minnesota, respectfully collecting water and sediment along the way.

Blending water and sediment from several sites along the same river, and incorporating them into her acrylic paintings, allowed Hejny to contemplate the endurance of this water as it flows downstream. Reflecting on the experience, she said, “creating this painting, more than any other, was physically and emotionally challenging, acknowledging that our human vitality is directly connected to the vitality of the water. We need the water and the water needs us.”