op art be@rbrick

Have you ever felt nauseous just by looking at art?

Like a sudden attack of vertigo, a long hard look at op art can certainly make your head spin.

Op art, also known as optical art, is a form of abstract art that produces optical illusions of movement and perspective by the use of cleverly arranged patterns.

British artist Bridget Riley was one of the foremost exponents of op art, which emerged in the mid-60's (around the same time the closely-related 'psychedelic look' also began to gain popularity in fashion and design).

The black and white insets that you see here are some of her paintings. If you stare at them for a minute, you will see the sense of movement – vibrating, flashing, throbbing – and perceive illusions of perspective or 3-dimensional space. The effect is mesmerizing, illuminating... but dizzying!

The spell may cause you to throw up. Go ahead. But after you've wiped your mouth with a towel, you may realize that your stomach is empty and that you're hungry for more – more fascinating and thought-provoking op art that explores and celebrates not just the beauty of subjects or scenes, but also the wonders of sight, the delight of seeing.

(Top left: This BWWT 3 Be@rbrick was designed by Boris Tellegen a.k.a. Delta, a Netherlands native who started out as a graffiti artist in the 80s. He is now an established sculptor, painter, illustrator, toy and graphic designer.)

(Info from Wikipedia, nadav.harel.org, wind.com.my. Pics of Riley's work from www.mishabittleston.com)