Op Art: Illusions and Optical Effects

Study Notes

Op Art involves the use of optical illusions, kinetics, and geometric abstraction to create the illusion of movement in static artwork.
Victor Vasarely (1906-1997), a Hungarian artist, is a key figure in the Op Art movement. He studied art after medical school and moved to Paris to work as a graphic designer.
Vasarely's work includes a series of black and white paintings called "Supernovae," where he used a grid of white lines to create the illusion of shifting shapes and movement. He believed that the perception of motion was achieved through the aggressive way the geometric structures appear to the retina.
Bridget Riley (1931-), a British artist, is another prominent figure in Op Art. She studied art after World War II and experimented with various styles before developing her signature style of geometric patterns with optical illusions.
Riley's work, such as "Metamorphosis," often features circles with varying gray tones to create the illusion of movement. She traveled extensively and was inspired by the bright colors and patterns of Egypt and India.
Op Art became a significant part of the 1960s culture, and its patterns and illusions were used extensively in the fashion and design industries.
Vasarely developed a methodology of using a set of colors and creating lines and shapes for his color system, which he called his 'artistic alphabet.' He created 1,161 black squares inside the grid of thin white lines in "Supernovae," which appear to shift and move based on the viewer's perception.
Riley's work often includes geometric shapes placed in curves to add movement and optical variances. She thought of her work as inspired by the dynamism of visual forces, not in realistic forms.
Vasarely used a two-dimensional platform to create three-dimensional images by reducing or expanding the grid sections, transforming squares and circles into rhombuses and ellipses. His work, such as "Vega-gyongly-2," appears as a rotating ball in the middle of a flat grid, with additional movement created by white squares chased throughout the painting.

Description

Test your knowledge about Op Art, the art style that plays with optical illusions and visual effects to challenge the viewer's perception. Explore the history, key figures, and iconic artworks of this influential movement.