Op Art
Description
Op art, short for optical art, is a style of visual art that uses distorted or manipulated geometrical patterns, often to create optical illusions. It began in the early 20th century, and was especially popular from the 1960s on, the term "Op art" dating to 1964.
Op artworks are normally abstract, with some better-known pieces created in black and white. Typically, they give the viewer the impression of movement, hidden images, flashing and vibrating patterns, or swelling or warping. In contrast, the much older trompe-l'œil style always represents figurative subjects, which are shown with deceptive three-dimensionality. Read more ↗
Key Artists
Bridget Riley
British master of Op Art whose high-contrast black-and-white geometric patterns and later color stripe paintings induce intense visual vibrations and virtual movement.
Victor Vasarely
Hungarian-French 'grandfather of Op Art' who developed the 'Alphabet Plastique' and created optical grids of warping spheres and optical kinetic depth.
Jesús Rafael Soto
Venezuelan pioneer who combined Op Art and kinetic sculpture in his 'Penetrables' and vibrating relief works where suspended metal rods shift against lined backgrounds.
Richard Anuszkiewicz
Leading American Op Art painter who studied under Josef Albers and explored simultaneous contrast and intense optical pulsing through high-key complementary colors.
François Morellet
Co-founder of the Groupe de Recherche d'Art Visuel (GRAV); created systematic geometric grids and neon interference patterns based on mathematical algorithms.
Julian Stanczak
Polish-American painter whose 1964 exhibition 'Optical Paintings' directly inspired Time magazine to coin the phrase 'Op art'.
Famous Artworks
Fun Facts
The term 'Op art' appeared in print for the first time in a October 23, 1964 review in Time magazine describing Julian Stanczak's solo exhibition 'Optical Paintings' at the Martha Jackson Gallery in New York.
↗ Source: tate.org.uk
When MoMA opened 'The Responsive Eye' in 1965, Op Art became an instant pop-culture sensation, immediately influencing 1960s fashion designers, advertising graphics, and psychedelic rock album covers.
↗ Source: moma.org
