Op Art

Op art, also known as optical art is a style of visual art that uses optical illusion.
It can be thought of as development from kinetic art.
Used repetition of patterned line, in high contrast black and white created an illusion of movement.
Op art works are abstract and give viewer the impression of movement, hidden images, flashing and vibrating patterns, or of swelling or wrapping.

Movement of squares by Bridget Riley, 1961

The term op art was coined by Times magazine in 1964, in response to Julian Stanczak's show Optical Paintings at Martha Jackson Gallery,to mean a form of abstract art that uses optical illusion.

 Victor Vasarely
John McHale
 Franco Grignani

How does it work?

http://www.op-art.co.uk/history/op-art-history-part-iii/

Black and White and the figure-ground relationship

Op art is a perceptual experience related to how vision functions.It is a dynamic visual art that stems from discordant figure-ground relationship that puts the two planes-foreground and background-in a tense and contradictory juxtaposition.

- The first, best known method, is to create effects through pattern and line.
- Another reaction that occurs is that the lines create after-images of certain colors due to how the retina receives and processes light. 
e.g.: Geothe demonstrates in this Theory of Colors.


Color
- In 1965, Bridget Riley began to produce color-based op art.
However other artist such as Julian Stanczak and Richard Anuszkeiewics, were always interested unmaking color the primary focus of their work.

Often the colorist work is dominated by the same concerns of figure ground movement, but they have added element of contrasting colors that produce different effect on the eye.

Eg: Richard Anuszkiewicz :Temple paintings

Some other op artists include: Getuilo Alvin
Heinz Mack
 Marina Apollonio
https://www.widewalls.ch/op-art-movement/


History

- Seen as a successor to geometric abstraction, its stress on illusion and perception suggests that it might also have older ancestors.
-It may decent from effects that were once popular with kid masters such as troupe l'ceil.
- Or from anamorphosis: the effect by which images are contorted so that objets are only fully recognizable when viewed from an oblique angle.

http://www.theartstory.org/movement-op-art-artworks.htm#pnt_2


Decline of Op Art

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

COLOR INTERACTION IN OP ART

There are three major classes of interaction of color

- Simultaneous contrast: When one area of color is surrounded by a another area of a different color. This enhances the difference in brightness and color between the interacting areas.The surrounding area should be in balance for this effect to occur.

- Successive contrast: Here first one color is viewed and then another.This may be achieved by fixing the eye steadily on one color and then quickly replacing that color with another.This can also be achieved by shifting fixations from one color to another.

- Reverse contrast: The lightness go white and darkness of black may seem to spread into neighboring regions. Similarly, colors may spread into or assimilated into neighboring areas making them more alike.

Colors appear to change depending on the proximity of other colors.

Complemtary colors, when placed next to each other intensify each other.

 Cool colors are recessive and seem to sink back on the surface whilst warm colors are emergent.