Bridget Riley

Op Art - The Art of Optical Illusion

What is “Op” Art?

• “Op” is short for optical. Optical means having to do with the eye.

• You may have heard of an optometrist. An optometrist is an eye doctor.

Op Art began in the 1960’s

• Optical Art is a mathematically-themed form of Abstract art. Abstract meaning it doesn’t have to look like something.  

• The point of optical art is to confuse the eye.

Bridget Riley

• Bridget Riley was born in 1931 in London.

• Bridget Riley is a well known creator of Op Art. Her work is characterized by its intensity and its often disorientating effect.

Bridget Riley

• In 1960, she began working initially in black and white

• She evolved a style in which she explored the dynamic effects of optical phenomena or Op art.

Movement in Squares, 1961 Tempera

Bridget Riley

• Bridget RileyBlaze 1, 1962 Emulsion on Hardboard, 43x43 in.

Bridget Riley

• Bridget RileyDescending, 1965

Emulsion on Hardboard, 36x36 in.

Bridget Riley

• Bridget RileyArrest 1, 1965 Emulsion on Canvas, 70x681/4 in.

Bridget Riley

• Bridget RileyCataract 3, 1967 PVA on Canvas, 87x873/4 in.

Bridget Riley

• Bridget RileyOrient 4, 1970 Acrylic on Canvas, 88x127 in.

Bridget Riley

• Around the 1980’s her extensive exploration of color and contrast began.

Dominance Portfolio, Blue, 1977

Bridget Riley• Orphean Elegy I

(1978)

• Ease (1987)

Bridget Riley

Bridget Riley• Echo (2000)

Silkscreen

Bridget Riley• Carnival (2000)

Silkscreen

Is the ball moving?

Are the intersections white or gray?

Here’s more “Op Art.”

In Op art, the dark colors recede while the light colors advance.

Look at this picture again…

Student Created Op Art

6th Grade Mini Lesson

Step One: Draw 3-4 circles of varying sizes

Step Two:Draw a line vertically down the middle, then add curved lines to each side, make it symmetrical.

Step Three: Using a ruler, measure out a checkerboard design for the background. Don’t be skimpy.

HINT: DO NOT draw too many lines, it will take forever to color!

Step Four: Choose two colors of colored pencil; high contrasting colors or complementary colors. 2013- Kids should color the THREE circles with the THREE complementary color sets each. Black and white background.

HINT: Now, use your darker color of marker/cp and  mark a small dot in every second square so you know where to use that color. DO BACKGROUND AND FOREGROUND (circles) SEPERATELY!

The Complementary should be memorized!

R-GB-OY-V

Color, Color, Color!

Step Five: For the last magical step, use a piece of charcoal and outline/shade around one half of the sphere, blending it out with your finger.

***This helps give the illusion of the sphere 'popping' out of the background