Op -Art (Late 1950s to late 1960s)
Op Art, short for Optical Art, emerged in the late 1950s and became widely recognised during the 1960s, particularly after the influential 1965 exhibition The Responsive Eye at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
The movement was largely based in Europe and the United States, with strong centres in Paris, London, and New York.
The name reflects the movement’s focus on optical effects. Op Art investigates how the eye perceives pattern, colour, line, and space. Artists aimed to create visual experiences that appear to vibrate, shift, pulse, or move.
The driving force behind Op Art was a desire to move away from emotional expression and personal gesture, which had dominated Abstract Expressionism. Instead, Op artists explored perception, structure, and visual systems, often influenced by science, psychology, and mathematics.
Op Art represents a moment where art becomes interactive, not physically, but perceptually. The artwork is completed by the viewer’s eye.
Artworks to be inspired by-
You may like to try to reproduce the style of Bridget Riley.
Bridget Riley – Movement in Squares
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Date: 1961
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Medium: Oil on board
Movement in Squares is a black-and-white composition made up of repeated square forms that gradually compress and expand across the surface. Although the image is entirely static, it creates a powerful illusion of movement, depth, and visual tension. The eye seems to ripple and bend as it travels across the surface.
This work perfectly demonstrates the core principles of Op Art. Riley uses simple geometric forms and high-contrast colour to activate the viewer’s perception. The artwork does not depict movement; instead, it causes movement to appear within the viewer’s visual experience. The illusion happens in the eye and brain rather than on the canvas itself.
Riley’s precise, controlled approach reflects Op Art’s interest in perception, optical instability, and the mechanics of seeing. The absence of expressive brushwork or narrative places full emphasis on visual effect.
Artists to Research:
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Bridget Riley (UK)
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Victor Vasarely (Hungary / France)
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Jesús Rafael Soto (Venezuela)
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Carlos Cruz-Diez (Venezuela)
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Richard Anuszkiewicz (USA)
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Julio Le Parc (Argentina / France)
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François Morellet (France)
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Yaacov Agam (Israel)
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Marina Apollonio
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Peter Sedgley
Other research:
Modern Op Art Artists:
Pennie Elfick
Lawrence Nash
Ara Peterson