Bridget Riley Op Art - The Art of Optical Illusion Created By Mrs. O’Loughlin What is “Op” Art? • “Op” is short for optical. Optical means having to do with the eye. • You may have heard of an optometrist. An optometrist is an eye doctor. Op Art began in the 1960’s • Optical Art is a mathematicallythemed form of Abstract art. Abstract meaning it doesn’t have to look like something. • The point of optical art is to confuse the eye. Bridget Riley • Bridget Riley was born in 1931 in London. • Bridget Riley is a well known creator of Op Art. Her work is characterized by its intensity and its often disorientating effect. Bridget Riley • In 1960, she began working initially in black and white • She evolved a style in which she explored the dynamic effects of optical phenomena or Op art. Movement in Squares, 1961 Tempera Bridget Riley • Bridget Riley Blaze 1, 1962 Emulsion on Hardboard, 43x43 in. Bridget Riley • Bridget Riley Descending, 1965 Emulsion on Hardboard, 36x36 in. Bridget Riley • Bridget Riley Arrest 1, 1965 Emulsion on Canvas, 70x681/4 in. Bridget Riley • Bridget Riley Cataract 3, 1967 PVA on Canvas, 87x873/4 in. Bridget Riley • Bridget Riley Orient 4, 1970 Acrylic on Canvas, 88x127 in. Bridget Riley • Around the 1980’s her extensive exploration of color and contrast began. Dominance Portfolio, Blue, 1977 Bridget Riley • Orphean Elegy I (1978) Bridget Riley • Ease (1987) Bridget Riley • Echo (2000) Silkscreen Bridget Riley • Carnival (2000) Silkscreen Bridget Riley • Bridget Riley is one of Britain's best-known artists. • Since the mid-1960s she has been celebrated for her optically vibrant paintings which engage the viewer's sensations and perceptions, producing visual experiences that are complex and challenging.