OP ART: Geometric vs. Organic (Art 2)

- abstract patterns with a contrast of foreground and background (positive & negative space), it is often produced in black and white shades for maximum contrast

- utilizes color groupings which affected the spaces between them to produce fleeting glimpses of other colors and enhances the optical illusion

OP ART

Project Description

5Ws of Movement

For this project you must research Op Art examples and choose one to study and recreate.

You will be merging geometric Op Art with Organic (free-flowing, natural) designs.

Approximately 65% of your project will be you Op Art design in color.

The remaining 35% will be an organic (you can draw designs, plants, animals) that are crawling, spilling or interestingly incorporated into the Op Art design.

What

How Op Art Works

Op art is a form of abstract art that gives the illusion of movement on a 2-dimensional surface by using precise patterns and colors, or utilizing conflicting patterns that emerge and overlap

When

-Late 1950's to early 1960’s

TEKS Level 2

Themes

Op art revolved around fooling our perception .

Where

Blaze, Bridget Riley, 1964

Cataract 3, Bridget Riley, 1967

- 1965 when the Museum of Modern Art exhibited the movement in: The Responsive Eye. This was when Time Magazine coined the name Op art

Illusion/ Distortion

The aim of Op art was to create motion that existed on a 2D plane.

Reality

The creation of these illusions would alter the viewer's reality, since they provide an alternative reality where motion exists without actual "motion".

Perception

Op art wanted people to look at it in a revolutionary new way, not only in the context of motion of 2D but also having putting the context of art into everyday society.

Legacy of Op Art

Why

During the golden years of Op art, the "mod look" was the latest fashion trend. A time where bob haircuts were in and miniskirts were on the rise.

Perception:

Interpret visual parallels between the structures of geometric and organic environments

Compare suitability of art materials and processes to express specific ideas relating to visual themes, using precise art vocabulary.

Creative expression/performance:

The student expresses ideas through original artworks, using a variety of media with appropriate skill. The student is expected to formulate multiple solutions to expand personal themes that demonstrate intent.

Historical/cultural heritage:

The student demonstrates an understanding of art history and culture. The student is expected to study a selected historical period or style of art (Op Art) and

analyze specific characteristics of artworks in different cultures

- To produce effects that confuse and challenge your viewpoint along with creating an illusion of movement

- Hope to attract wide public and integrate modern art into society in a new way

The style was to be bold, but simplistic; hence the geometric patterning of Op art perfectly complimented the trend. Op art was the newest craze and it appeared everywhere; from advertisements, design, furniture and of course fashion.

The Disappearance of Op Art?

Op Art began losing popularity in the later 60s as the geometric appeal gave way to natural floral prints and nude colors. However, the art movement continues to impact us today, especially in fashion.

3D Art

M C Escher

Relativity, 1953

Major Artists

How Op Art Works Continued...

Zebra, 1950

Zebra, 1937

Positive & Negative Space

Zebra, 1944

There have been many reproductions of "Zebras" and its very difficult to validate their authenticity. This series is considered the turning point of his career; when he evolved into optical art. Many consider Vasarely's Zebra, 1937 to be the very beginning of Op art.

Current, 1964

Zing 1, 1971

Hermann Grid

White's Illusion

Bridget Riley

Victor Vaserely

Bibliography

Pause, 1964

Kiss, 1961

Vasarely was a medical student until 1927, when he decided to pursue art at Muhely Academy in Budapest; the centre for Bauhaus teachings.

Origins of Op Art

Alphabet VB, 1960

Movement in Squares, 1961

Bridget Riley studied at the Royal College of Art in 1952 – 1955. There, her studies were mainly on life drawing and black and white shades.

In 1960, she took a part time teaching career at Hornsey College of Art, where she began her first Op art paintings in black and white.

Riley’s paintings got International notice when she exhibited along with Victor Vasarely and other Op artists in 'The Responsive Eye' Exhibit at MoMA.

Riley introduced colour in her work in 1967 and in her paintings of the late 1960s and 70s she became mainly concerned with the visual and emotional response to colour.

Created the art programming language known as “alphabet plastique” (fine arts alphabet), which was a grid system that combined with shapes and 20 hues to create an infinite number of compositions.

Kinetic Art - Movement

A lot of the success of Op art is dependent on the artist’s precision in the contrast of light and dark in their art work as well as the context.

When light enters the eye, it focuses on at the back layer of our eye known as the retina consists of receptors.

RODS=BRIGHTNESS

CONES=COLOR

Bauhaus Art - Geometric Form

Perception is Relative

"The Art Story: Modern Art Movement Timeline." The Art Story: Modern Art Movement Timeline. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2014.

<http://www.theartstory.org/section_movements_timeline.htm>

"5 Famous Op-Artists." Optical Illusion Art. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2014.

<http://948783666602171788.weebly.com/5-famous-op-artists.html >

"Op Art Art - Artists, Artworks and Biographies." Op Art Art - Artists, Artworks and Biographies. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2014.

<http://www.wwar.com/masters/movements/op_art.html >

"What You Should Know About Op Art." About. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2014.

<http://arthistory.about.com/cs/arthistory10one/a/op_art.htm>

"The Art Story.org - Your Guide to Modern Art." Op Art Movement, Artists and Major Works. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2014.

<http://www.theartstory.org/movement-op-art.htm >

"The Art Story.org - Your Guide to Modern Art." Kinetic Art Movement, Artists and Major Works. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2014.

<http://www.theartstory.org/movement-kinetic-art.htm >

"Contrast Effects." Contrast Effects. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2014.

<http://cs.brown.edu/~deus/courses/optical/Contrast2.htm >

http://artinspired.pbworks.com/w/page/13819678/Positive%20and%20Negative%20Space

"Op-Art.co.uk | Op Art." OpArtcouk RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2014.

<http://www.op-art.co.uk/>

"Official Website of Victor Vasarely." Official Website of Victor Vasarely. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2014.

<http://www.vasarely.com/site/site.htm>

"Bridget Riley | Op-art.co.uk | Op-Art.co.uk." OpArtcouk RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2014.

<http://www.op-art.co.uk/bridget-riley/>

"EasyBib: The Free Automatic Bibliography Composer." EasyBib. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2014.

<http://www.easybib.com/>

"The Later 20th Century." The Later 20th Century. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Oct. 2014.

<http://www.myeport.com/published/u/hs/uhse002/slideshow/20/index15.shtml>

Kinetic art was inspired by the Dadaism, with Marcel Duchamp's "Bicycle Wheel" in 1913 and dealt with real or illusionary motion.

This brought new life from traditional static art and opened doors to the potential of what art can be. Artists like Jean Tinguley began creating mechanical movement often shown as a kinetic sculpture

Bauhaus was an applied art and architectural school in Germany.

The style employed the use of geometric shapes, and abandoned teacher student relationships for more open environment for all artists.

Vega-Nor, 1969

"Focusing isn't just an optical activity, it is also a mental one."

- Bridget Riley

Bicycle Wheel, 1913

The "Big Question"

However, by the mid-1960s Kinetic art had reached its peak. This lead to the question "How to create motion on a 2D plane?"

Hence, artists like Victor Vasarely and Bridget Riley whom were apart of this movement had a profound interest in experimenting with the visual capabilities of op art.