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Op Art

OP ART STYLE

The Op art movement emerged in the 1960s, mirroring the counterculture of the time in its embrace of visual trickery, graphic shapes and bright colors.

Spreading across Europe and the Americas, the style — whose name is short for “optical art” — influenced advertising, fashion and interior design before fading in the early ’70s.

Op art remained significant, however, for artists and scientists interested in the nature of perception. And today, it’s seeing a resurgence of interest from collectors and interior designers.

Op artists played with the principles of perception, manipulating line, shape, patterns and color to create the illusion of depth and movement. They drew on and evolved methods developed by past movements, from Impressionism to Abstract Expressionism, to produce intense visual experiences.

All the Op artists shared a focus on the gap between what is and what we perceive. Each, however, had a distinct approach to the issue and a unique visual style.

On 1stDibs, find a collection of Op art that includes works by Josef Albers, Bridget Riley, Jesús Rafael Soto and more.

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Style: Op Art
Jim Bird, Untitled, from Ediciones Poligrafa, 1979
Jim Bird, Untitled, from Ediciones Poligrafa, 1979

Jim BirdJim Bird, Untitled, from Ediciones Poligrafa, 1979, 1979

$716Sale Price|20% Off

Jim Bird, Untitled, from Ediciones Poligrafa, 1979

By Jim Bird

Located in Southampton, NY

This exquisite lithograph by Jim Bird (1937–2010), titled Untitled (Untitled), from the album Ediciones Poligrafa, Barcelona - Redfern Gallery, London, originates from the 1979 editi...

Category

1970s Op Art

Materials

Lithograph

Classic Blue Silk Movement, Abstract Fabric Gestures, Contemporary Cyanotype
Classic Blue Silk Movement, Abstract Fabric Gestures, Contemporary Cyanotype

Kind of CyanClassic Blue Silk Movement, Abstract Fabric Gestures, Contemporary Cyanotype, 2024

$420

Classic Blue Silk Movement, Abstract Fabric Gestures, Contemporary Cyanotype

By Kind of Cyan

Located in Barcelona, ES

This is an exclusive handprinted limited edition cyanotype. Details: + Title: Classic Blue Silk Movement nº1 + Year: 2024 + Edition Size: 100 + Medium: Cyanotype Print on Watercolor Paper + Stamped and Certificate of Authenticity provided + Measurements : 70x100 cm (28x 40 in.), a standard frame size + All cyanotype prints are made on high-quality Italian watercolor paper WHAT IS A CYANOTYPE? The cyanotype (a.k.a. sun-print) process is one of the oldest in the history of photography, dating back to the 1840's. Cyanotypes were then made famous by Anna Atkins...

Category

2010s Op Art

Materials

Lithograph

Untitled 25, Abstract Op Art Screenprint by David Roth
Untitled 25, Abstract Op Art Screenprint by David Roth

David RothUntitled 25, Abstract Op Art Screenprint by David Roth, 1979

$750

Untitled 25, Abstract Op Art Screenprint by David Roth

By David Roth

Located in Long Island City, NY

This screenprint was created by American artist David Roth. Roth's images are proportioned according to a strict mathematical formula - the pictures are composed according to horizon...

Category

1970s Op Art

Materials

Screen

BI-RHOMBS, Victor Vasarely
BI-RHOMBS, Victor Vasarely

Victor VasarelyBI-RHOMBS, Victor Vasarely, 1977

$3,600Sale Price|20% Off

BI-RHOMBS, Victor Vasarely

By Victor Vasarely

Located in Fairfield, CT

Artist: Victor Vasarely (1908-1997) Title: BI-RHOMBS Year: 1977 Medium: Silkscreen on Arches paper Edition: 91/250, plus proofs Size: 43.5 x 26 inches Condition: Good Inscription: Si...

Category

1980s Op Art

Materials

Screen

Line Study For Angles and Curves, Duo of Art Deco Shapes, Pastel Palette Rouge
Line Study For Angles and Curves, Duo of Art Deco Shapes, Pastel Palette Rouge

Natalia RomanLine Study For Angles and Curves, Duo of Art Deco Shapes, Pastel Palette Rouge, 2022

$656Sale Price|20% Off

Line Study For Angles and Curves, Duo of Art Deco Shapes, Pastel Palette Rouge

By Natalia Roman

Located in Barcelona, ES

These series of paintings by Natalia Roman gather their inspiration from geometric, minimalist shapes and paintings from the beginning of Modernism, with a special emphasis on Art Deco shapes of the 30's, 40's and 50's. The subtle but chic color combinations will combine beautifully with both vintage and modern furniture without overtaking spaces that are carefully crafted by designers. Natalia Roman was born in 1984 in Girona, Spain. She has exhibited in galleries across Europe and her colorful, abstract paintings are part of private collections all over the world. Details: Title: Line Study...

Category

2010s Op Art

Materials

Acrylic, Paper

Island Jewel, Unique Cut Glass OP Art Sculpture by Jon Kuhn
Island Jewel, Unique Cut Glass OP Art Sculpture by Jon Kuhn

Jon KuhnIsland Jewel, Unique Cut Glass OP Art Sculpture by Jon Kuhn, 1992

$50,000

Island Jewel, Unique Cut Glass OP Art Sculpture by Jon Kuhn

By Jon Kuhn

Located in Long Island City, NY

A polished glass sculpture by Joh Kuhn from 1992. A spectacular sculpture of crystal clear glass that forms a complicated prism in which light is reflected in a multitude of optical ...

Category

1990s Op Art

Materials

Glass

Jewel coloured vibrant op art abstract geometric painting French 1960s
Jewel coloured vibrant op art abstract geometric painting French 1960s

Tony GonnetJewel coloured vibrant op art abstract geometric painting French 1960s, 1968

$985

Jewel coloured vibrant op art abstract geometric painting French 1960s

Located in Norwich, GB

A fabulous example of 1960s geometric/op art, displaying all the fun, playfulness and vibrancy of the style. Op art, short for optical art, is a style of visual art that uses optical illusions. Typically, they give the viewer the impression of movement, hidden images and vibrating patterns. Its roots can be traced back to Cubism, Futurism, Constructivism and Dada. The maker of this stunning piece is Tony Gonnet (1909-2004) an artist close to those who shaped modern art and its history. Working in Casablanca in 1940 he met André Breton and Saint-Exupéry, who were both on their way to America. Unable to obtain a visa for himself, Gonnet returned to Paris in January of 1942. Living on Rue de Seine, he became one of the figures of Saint-Germain-des-Prés and numbered amongst his many friends Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, Jean Genet – who prefaced his first Parisian exhibition in 1952 – as well as Albert Camus, Simone Signoret, Boris Vian, Jacques and Pierre Prévert and many others. In 1941, in the ennui of Casablanca, Tony Gonnet had started to draw, and then paint, in a Surrealist style. In 1946 he abandoned figurative surrealism in favour of abstraction, making sole use from then on of geometric forms and shaded tones, in his own unique style. His works aim to achieve harmony of shapes and colours, and thus to bring joy. Tony Gonnet loved life, and said that each of his works was an offering made to it. With solo shows in major Paris galleries...

Category

1960s Op Art

Materials

Oil, Board

Exit, Original Acrylic Painting on Canvas, Op Art, 2010s, Unframed
Exit, Original Acrylic Painting on Canvas, Op Art, 2010s, Unframed

Roy YarivExit, Original Acrylic Painting on Canvas, Op Art, 2010s, Unframed, 2019

$47,125Sale Price|20% Off

Exit, Original Acrylic Painting on Canvas, Op Art, 2010s, Unframed

Located in AMSTERDAM, NL

Step into the mesmerizing world of EXIT, the original acrylic painting on canvas meticulously crafted and shaped by the divine proportions of the golden rectangle. Inspired by the Re...

Category

2010s Op Art

Materials

Acrylic

16 Green Circles from the Eight Variants series, 1970
16 Green Circles from the Eight Variants series, 1970

Julian Stanczak16 Green Circles from the Eight Variants series, 1970, 1970

$1,850

16 Green Circles from the Eight Variants series, 1970

By Julian Stanczak

Located in Lake Worth Beach, FL

16 Green Circles from the Eight Variants series, 1970 This work is number 51 from the edition of 165 printed by Hans Mayer, Krefeld, Germany. screenprint 28"x28" Julian Stanczak American/Polish, 1928-2017. explores the visual, psychological, and emotional resonance of color in his Op art paintings, through which he aims to induce a “color meltdown,” as he describes: “I want to fuse many colorants and their gradations into a single color experience.” Influenced by Josef Albers and Russian...

Category

1970s Op Art

Materials

Screen

Majus II
Majus II

Victor VasarelyMajus II, 1974

$20,000Sale Price|20% Off

Majus II

By Victor Vasarely

Located in Palo Alto, CA

Victor Vasarely Majus II, 1974 is a screenprint on polyester on metal that is hand-signed by Victor Vasarely (Hungary, 1906 – France, 1997) in pen and ink the lower right margin and...

Category

1970s Op Art

Materials

Metal

Oscillation
Oscillation

Roy AhlgrenOscillation, 1980

$875

Oscillation

By Roy Ahlgren

Located in Fairlawn, OH

11 color screen print Signed, dated, titled and numberedin pencil Edition: 150 (9/150) Provenance: Estate of the Artist By Decent

Category

1980s Op Art

Materials

Screen

Yaacov Agam, Color Composition, from XXe siecle, 1978
Yaacov Agam, Color Composition, from XXe siecle, 1978

Yaacov AgamYaacov Agam, Color Composition, from XXe siecle, 1978, 1977

$895

Yaacov Agam, Color Composition, from XXe siecle, 1978

By Yaacov Agam

Located in Southampton, NY

This exquisite lithograph by Yaacov Agam (born 1928), titled Composition coloree (Color Composition), from the album XXe siecle, Nouvelle serie, XL Annee, No. 51, originates from the...

Category

1970s Op Art

Materials

Lithograph

Op Art art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Op art available for sale on 1stDibs. Works in this style were very popular during the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artists have continued to produce works inspired by this movement. If you’re looking to add art created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of blue, purple, orange, red and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Victor Vasarely, Roy Ahlgren, Victor Debach, and Yaacov Agam. Frequently made by artists working with Screen Print, and Paint and other materials, all of these pieces for sale are unique and have attracted attention over the years. Not every interior allows for large Op Art, so small editions measuring 2 inches across are also available. Prices for art made by famous or emerging artists can differ depending on medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $66 and tops out at $350,000, while the average work sells for $1,616.

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Get to Know the Artists Who Led the Op Art Movement

In the 1960s and '70s, the hypnotic creations of Op artists went mainstream and influenced the look of pop culture.

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