O
A
• Art which uses optical illusions
•Op art is derived from Constructivist
Art- which dismissed “pure” art in
favor of art created for social
purposes- for example, socialist
system.
Movement in Squares, by
Bridget Riley, 1961.
The term Op Art first appeared….
• Time Magazine, 1964
• Victor Vasarely's
painting,
p
g, Zebras
(1938)
• Notice the entire
picture has no
contour lines- the
edges
d
are iimplied
li d
First Op Art exhibit….
• Museum of Modern
Art (MoMa) 1965
• Focused on the
perceptual aspects of
art
• Illusion of movements
• Relationships of color
• Very popular with
public- Not with critics
- Current, Bridget Riley, 1964
How Op Art is created…
• Perceptual experience related to how
vision functions
• Figure-ground
Figure ground relationship causes the two
planes to be in a tense and contradictory
juxtaposition (location)
• The resulting effects using pattern and line
create
t an optical
ti l ill
illusion
i off movementt and
d
space
The illusion of color…
• New lines are created
after images of
certain colors due to
how the retina
receives and
processes light
li ht
• Contrasting colors
have different effects
on the eye
Josef Albers, Homage to the square
"A p
pulser"
lser"
The figure appears to scintillate
scintillate.
Moreover, rings of subjective
color are observed.
Visual Phantoms
St
Stare
att the
th nextt picture
i t
for
f 20
seconds
GO!
After looking at the slide before,
what
h t do
d you see on th
the white
hit
p g
page?
Victor Vasarely
1. How would you describe Op Art?
2. How does advertising use optical illusion?
3. If you had to list four ideas that you have been
told your whole life
life- that
you know is either not true- or you
don’tt agree withdon
with what would they be?
(Answer these three questions in groups and
write your responses on paper to share with
the class.)
Resourcs
• GoogleGoogle Josef Albers Homage to the
Square
• WikipediaWikipedia Op Art