| Victor Vasarely is perhaps the best-known creator of post-World War II geometric painting which led to the Op Art movement. He worked as a graphic designer until 1944 which helped the conception of the complex black-and-white patterns of his earliest paintings. Soon after, he added intense contrasts of color. Vasarely was one of the most influential op artists. His writings defined the philosophy of Op Art (kinetic art ) and explored the science of optical effects and illusions. He was a pioneer in the development of almost every form of optical device for the creation of a new art of visual illusion. Typically, the artist arranges a large number of small, nearly identical geometric shapes in patterns that generate vivid illusions of depth and, in some cases, motion. For example, Vasarely uses various devices in his paintings to create the illusion of movement and change within abstract elements. The paintings look as though they have bulging areas but in reality they are flat 2-dimensional canvas. This style lends itself particularly to screenprinting and Vasarely produced hundreds of complex, meticulously made prints which are avidly collected. A citizen of France since 1959, Vasarely had some 150 solo exhibitions in the half-century spanning 1930-80 and has won many international prizes. Major museums in Aix-en Provence, France and Pecs, Hungary and a wing of the Zichy Palace, Hungary, are devoted exclusively to his work. |
