Lapidaire, 1971
mixed media collage
18 1/2" x 18 1/2"
Untitled, 1970
color screenprint
18 1/2" x 12 1/2"
E.A.
Victor Vasarely (1906-1997) was a Hungarian-French artist who is widely accepted as a "grandfather" and leader of the optical art (Op Art) movement. Vasarely studied medicine at Budapest University in his early 20s before abandoning his medical studies to pursue a career in art. While his early work was concerned with color theory, during the 1950s and 1960s his work focused on the optical potential of the two-dimensional surface. He began to use complex and colorful patterns to engage the viewer's eye, and to convey a sense of kinetic energy across the two-dimensional surface. Vasarely developed his style of geometric abstract art, working in various materials but using a minimal number of forms and colors. His work entitled Zebra, created in the 1930s, is considered by some to be one of the earliest examples of Op Art.
