What is Op Art?

Op Art, meaning Optical Art, is an abstract style which uses geometric shapes to create optical illusions. Developed in the 1960s, Op Art uses lines, contrast and colour to manipulate the viewer’s perception and challenge traditional notions of painting.

Time Magazine coined the term ‘Op Art’ in 1964 as a response to the work of Victor Vasarely. Often referred to as the ‘grandfather’ of Op Art, Vasarely used geometric compositions to create a sense of three-dimensionality in his works — his piece Zebra (1938) is considered one of the earliest examples of Op Art.

Another prominent Op Art artist is Bridget Riley, who is best-known for her black and white works such as Movement in Square (1961) and Over (1966), where she repeats lines and shapes to create optical vibrations. Reflecting on creating Over, Riley noted, ‘The theme of the painting Over is a certain sensation of change: moving from one state to another, a transition enacted through the progression of the elements employed.’

The Op Art movement emerged at the same time as Kinetic Art — both were launched at the Le Mouvement exhibition in Paris, 1955. Though both styles share an interest in motion, Op Art explored how movement could be created on a flat plane, while Kinetic Art focused on real movement in space.

Artists such as Carlos Cruz-Diez and Jesús Rafael Soto explored the close connection between these two art styles, with installations where audiences were not just watching the work, but participating within it. Julio Le Parc’s Continuel-Lumière Cylindre (Continual Light Cylinder) (1962) also bridged Op Art and Kinetic Art, creating an almost immersive experience with rotating light projections.

Through its bold patterns and striking imagery, Op Art challenges how a viewer can engage in art, and blends the boundaries between art, mathematics and science.

What are the characteristics of Op Art?

Through geometric shapes and repeated patterns, Op Art creates illusions of movement, vibration and depth. The works often have a high contrast between the background and the foreground, tending to use black and white designs, though vibrant colours can also be used to enhance the effects.

Through these techniques, Op Art engages the visual perception of a viewer so that an artwork can appear to move, pulse or shimmer. These optical effects invite the viewer to look again, creating thought-provoking — and sometimes disorientating — artworks.