Op art

What is op art?

Op art, in full optical art, is a way of painting that deliberately deceives the eye. The artist assembles regular patterns, grids or contrasting stripes so that they seem to come alive before the viewer, to quiver or to move. Can you remember a painting you had to blink at to be sure it was not really moving? That sensation is exactly the point.

When and how did it come about?

Op art was born in the 1960s as one form of geometric abstraction. It builds on earlier investigations of colour, shape and perception and takes them to complete precision, with every line and every transition exactly calculated. It is that mathematical precision that gives rise to the illusion of movement, depth or shimmer.

Who are its most important figures?

The father of the movement is usually taken to be the Hungarian-born Victor Vasarely, whose undulating chequerboards and bubbles became an icon of the whole era. Alongside him, one of the best known is the British painter Bridget Riley, famed for black-and-white canvases that make you feel the surface is rippling like water.

How does it do on the art market?

Op art remains sought after on the market because it is visually attractive and instantly recognisable, which appeals to collectors. Works by Vasarely and Bridget Riley are pillars of post-war abstraction and appear in leading collections worldwide and at auction. Its clean, timeless aesthetic also chimes well with contemporary taste.

— Anna Pulkertová, founder of Art Part Club