Victor Vasarely's Album Meta: Seven Plates 2 from 1976 is a striking example of his optical art (Op Art) style. This limited edition screen-print features a hypnotic arrangement of geometric shapes, primarily squares and circles, blending in a gradient of cool blue tones. The design creates a dynamic optical illusion, with the shapes appearing to pulsate and shift in depth as the viewer engages with the piece. Vasarely expertly uses the interplay of light and shadow within the shapes to produce a three-dimensional effect on the flat surface, challenging the viewer's perception of space and movement. The composition feels almost fluid, despite its geometric rigidity, making it both mesmerizing and visually complex.
Victor Vasarely (Hungary/France, 1906–1997) was a pioneering figure in Op Art, celebrated for his geometric abstractions that create optical illusions of depth and movement. His work, characterized by vibrant colors and precise patterns, redefined visual perception in art and remains influential in both the art and design worlds.
Screen-print Screen printing is a technique where ink is transferred through a mesh onto a substrate, with areas blocked by a stencil to prevent ink from passing through. This method, also known as serigraphy or silkscreen printing, is commonly used to produce prints on posters, T-shirts, vinyl, stickers, wood, and other materials. The process is a type of stencil printing, allowing for vibrant, detailed designs on various surfaces.
Victor Vasarely's Album Meta: Seven Plates 2 from 1976 is a striking example of his optical art (Op Art) style. This limited edition screen-print features a hypnotic arrangement of geometric shapes, primarily squares and circles, blending in a gradient of cool blue tones. The design creates a dynamic optical illusion, with the shapes appearing to pulsate and shift in depth as the viewer engages with the piece. Vasarely expertly uses the interplay of light and shadow within the shapes to produce a three-dimensional effect on the flat surface, challenging the viewer's perception of space and movement. The composition feels almost fluid, despite its geometric rigidity, making it both mesmerizing and visually complex.
Victor Vasarely (Hungary/France, 1906–1997) was a pioneering figure in Op Art, celebrated for his geometric abstractions that create optical illusions of depth and movement. His work, characterized by vibrant colors and precise patterns, redefined visual perception in art and remains influential in both the art and design worlds.
It is the original idea that is unique, not the object itself.
- Victor Vasarely
Widely regarded as the 'grandfather’ and leading figure of the Op Art movement, Victor Vasarely was a sculptor and painter whose works often combine colourful graphics with geometric shapes to create the illusion of spatial depth, exemplified in such works as Vega-Nor. Vasarely initially began as a poster artist and graphic designer before experimenting artistically with textural effects and the interplay between shadow and light, resulting in such works as Zebra, which is broadly accepted as one of the first examples of Op Art; the artist worked with numerous materials including Perspex and wood, but only a minimal number of colours and forms. Throughout his career, Vasarely experimented with numerous styles including surrealism and cubism, but was most notably inspired by the methods of Bauhaus and Constructivism, as well as painter and art theorist Wassily Kandinsky. (Artist website)
Op Art is a visual art style that uses optical illusions to create the impression of movement, vibrating patterns, flashing, or hidden images. The works are typically abstract, with many well-known pieces in black and white. The roots of Op Art can be traced back to earlier movements like Futurism, Constructivism, Dada, and Neo-Impressionism, particularly in their use of color effects and graphic design.