Historical and Cultural Context

Optical (Op) Art is a mathematically-oriented form of (usually) Abstract art, which uses repetition of simple forms and colors to create vibrating effects, moiré patterns, an exaggerated sense of depth, foreground-background confusion, and other visual effects.

In the mid-20th century, artists such as Josef Albers, Victor Vasarely, and M.C. Escher experimented with Optical Art. Escher's work, although not abstract, also deals extensively with various forms of visual tricks and paradoxes.

In the 1960's, the term "Op Art" was coined to describe the work of a growing group of abstract painters. This movement was led by Vasarely and Bridget Riley (http://www.artcyclopedia.com/history/optical.html).

• Richard Anuszkiewicz
• François Morellet
• Kenneth Noland
• Lawrence Poons

Bridget Riley - Balm -1964 -
http://www.usc.edu/schools/annenberg/asc/projects/comm544/library/images/785.html

• Bridget Riley
• Jesús-Rafael Soto
• Victor Vasarely