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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
Color:  Brown
Vega-Tuz
Located in Kansas City, MO
Victor Vasarely Vega-Tuz Year: 1981 Medium: Color Lithograph Size: 23.0 x 16.0 in. Signed in in the stone COA provided Victor Vasarely (Hungarian-French, 1906-1997) is one of the founding fathers of the Op-Art movement in Europe. His brightly colored optical patterns introduced a visually kinetic aspect to the traditionally flat paintings of his generation. Vasarely originally planned on becoming a doctor, however he abandoned medicine to follow his passion in the arts and enrolled at Sandor Bortnyik's private art school called Muhely, at the time widely recognized as Budapest's centre of Bauhaus studies...
Category

1980s Op Art

Materials

Lithograph

Petite Vibration Brique et Noir
Located in Miami, FL
Petite Vibration Brique et Noir (1966) Painted wood with a painted metal rod and nylon thread Edition Galerie Bischofberger, Zurich Ed. 16 / 35 20 x 18 x 18 in Provenance: Galerie Elke Dröscher, Hamburg Galerie Meißner, Hamburg (1976) Private collection, Baden-Württemberg Lempertz Auction. Contemporary Art...
Category

1960s Op Art

Materials

Metal

Two Tigers on Green
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Victor Vasarely, Hungarian (1908 - 1997) Title: Two Tigers on Green Year: 1980 Medium: Screenprint, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 250, CL I...
Category

1980s Op Art

Materials

Screen

"Oktoqou III" 1974 OpArt Silkscreen Jürgen Peters
Located in Arp, TX
Jürgen Peters Oktoqou III 1974 Silkscreen 59/125 28.25"x28.25" unframed Signed, dated, titled, and print number across bottom in pencil. *Custom framing available for additional cha...
Category

1970s Op Art

Materials

Paper, Screen

Inward Eye, #2 OP Art Serigraph by Anuszkiewicz
Located in Long Island City, NY
A limited edition serigraph from the Inward Eye portfolio. The work bears the publishers stamp verso and is unsigned from the edition of 500. Artist: Richard Anuszkiewicz, American ...
Category

1970s Op Art

Materials

Screen

Untitled
Located in Palo Alto, CA
Combining patterns reminiscent of tessellation and a large grid-like system, Vasarely turns a plain hexagon into a concave surface. Shades of light and dark play across the 'facets' ...
Category

1970s Op Art

Materials

Wood, Acrylic

Rivotril, 1990
Located in Palo Alto, CA
Created in 1990, this original color serigraph is hand signed by Victor Vasarely (Pécs, 1906 - Paris, 1997) in pencil in the lower right margin. Numbered 270/300, this piece was prin...
Category

1990s Op Art

Materials

Screen

Sequential Chroma, Op Art Screenprint by Julian Stanczak
Located in Long Island City, NY
A colorful OP Art silkscreen by Poland-born American OP Artist, Julian Stanczak. Artist: Julian Stanczak, American (1928 - 2017) Title: Sequential Chroma Year: 1981 Medium: Screen...
Category

1980s Op Art

Materials

Screen

Kettes, 1984
Located in Palo Alto, CA
Created in 1984, this hand painted acrylic on wood sculpture is hand signed by Victor Vasarely (Pécs, 1906 - Paris, 1997) in ink in the lower right. This work is also numbered 48/175...
Category

1980s Op Art

Materials

Wood, Acrylic

Brown Mandala, Silkscreen by Clarence Holbrook Carter
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Clarence Holbrook Carter, American (1904 - 2000) Title: Brown Mandala Year: 1969 Medium: Silkscreen on Scintilla paper, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 75 Paper Size: ...
Category

1960s Op Art

Materials

Screen

20th Century large optical art oil on board painting
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
Circle of Victor Vasarely Oil on board 47 x 47 in. (119 x 119 cm.)
Category

20th Century Op Art

Materials

Oil, Board

Compounded Red
Located in Miami, FL
Technical Information: Julian Stanczak Compounded Red 1981 Screenprint 26 x 26 in. Edition of 175 Pencil signed and numbered Accompanied with COA by Gregg Shienbaum Fine Art
Category

1980s Op Art

Materials

Screen

Aztec
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork titled "Aztec" 1983 is a color serigraph on Wove paper by noted American artist Roy Ahlgren, 1927-2011 It is hand signed, titled, dated and numbered 71/150 in pencil by ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Op Art

Materials

Screen

Tempo of Three 1981 Screenprint 26 x 39 1/4 in. Edition of 175
Located in Miami, FL
Technical Information: Julian Stanczak Tempo of Three 1981 Screenprint 26 x 39 1/4 in. Edition of 175 Pencil signed and numbered Accompanied with COA by Gregg Shienbaum Fine Art
Category

1970s Op Art

Materials

Screen

Iboya, NBC 35 and NBC 36
Located in Palo Alto, CA
The Hungarian word, Iboya, meaning a small forest violet, has been chosen by Vasarely to identify his astonishing series of vertical sculptures for interior use. The Iboya consist o...
Category

1970s Op Art

Materials

Polystyrene, Wood

Untitled Sculpture, 1987
Located in Palo Alto, CA
Created in 1987, this original acrylic on wood sculpture is hand signed by Victor Vasarely (Pécs, 1906 - Paris, 1997)in black ink in the lower centerand numbered from the edition of ...
Category

1980s Op Art

Materials

Wood, Acrylic

Acid-Wave
Located in New York, NY
Striking 3-dimensional acrylic and wood on canvas sculpture by renowned Colombian painter an sculptor, Omar Rayo. Signed, titled, inscribed "New Yo...
Category

1960s Op Art

Materials

Canvas, Wood, Acrylic

World Friendship - Original OP Art Acrylic Painting - Handsigned - 1987
Located in Paris, FR
Victor VASARELY World Friendship (Fay Koez), 1980 Original acrylic painting Handsigned at the lower middle Signed, titled, dated and listed on the back On canvas 60 x 60 cm (c. 24 x...
Category

1980s Op Art

Materials

Acrylic

Iboya, NBC 35
Located in Palo Alto, CA
The Hungarian word, Iboya, meaning a small forest violet, has been chosen by Vasarely to identify his astonishing series of vertical sculptures for intereior use. The Iboya consist ...
Category

1970s Op Art

Materials

Wood, Polystyrene

Aftermath
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork titled "Aftermath" 1981 is a color serigraph on Wove paper by noted American artist Roy Ahlgren, 1927-2011 It is hand signed, titled, dated and numbered 2/150in pencil b...
Category

Mid-20th Century Op Art

Materials

Screen

Iboya, NBC 36
Located in Palo Alto, CA
The Hungarian word, Iboya, meaning a small forest violet, has been chosen by Vasarely to identify his astonishing series of vertical sculptures for intereior use. The Iboya consist ...
Category

1970s Op Art

Materials

Polystyrene, Wood

Interferences cercles noir et blanc
Located in Tbilisi, GE
Wood and serigraph; signed; framed Edition size: 15
Category

2010s Op Art

Materials

Wood, Mixed Media

Tsillag
Located in London, GB
Hand-painted acrylic on wood three-dimensional multiple, 1990, signed and numbered from the edition of 175 in ink, 52.7 x 61 x 7.9 cm. (20 3/4 x 24 x 3 1/8 in.)
Category

1990s Op Art

Materials

Wood, Acrylic

MUSIC (DIMENSIONAL PIECES OF WOOD WITH MAGNETS)
Located in Aventura, FL
Original dimensional hand painted wood pieces with magnets attached to a square shaped wood. Hand signed on front and verso by the artist. Artwork is in excellent condition. Certif...
Category

Late 20th Century Op Art

Materials

Wood, Acrylic

"Fan Figuration, " Serigraph, 1980
Located in Long Island City, NY
This serigraph was created by German artist Jurgen Peters. Peters was a very well known optical artist in the 1970s, he was a contemporary of Victor Vasarely, Yaacov Agam and Briget Riley...
Category

1980s Op Art

Materials

Screen

Vibration cercles noir et blanc
Located in Tbilisi, GE
wood, steel and serigraph; signed; edition of 15
Category

2010s Op Art

Materials

Steel

Marathon Man, OP Art silkscreen by Roy Ahlgren
Located in Long Island City, NY
Marathon Man Roy Ahlgren, American (1927–2011) Date: 1979 Screenprint, signed, numbered, dated, and titled in pencil Edition of 125 Image Size: 23 x 17 in...
Category

1970s Op Art

Materials

Screen

Do It Yourself
Located in London, GB
Hammer and two nails on wood board, 1930, signed in pencil, from an unknown edition size, published by Edition VICE-Versand, Remscheid, Germany, overall sizes: 34 x 16.5 x 7.8 cm. (1...
Category

1930s Op Art

Materials

Wood

Infinity #54 (op art curvy monochrome red pen drawing wood detailed oriental)
Located in Quebec, Quebec
Cheoluy Kim’s practice examines the blurred frontier between perceived reality and fantasy. His work is informed by a childhood growing up on the border of North and South Korea in Gosung. There, he grew fascinated by all the fauna and flora he observed from his village surrounded by mountains, as well as the air balloons carrying political propaganda. He witnessed everything in the sky. This instilled a deeply rooted reflex to imagine a fantastical world beyond the physical frontiers he was bound by. Cheolyu Kim studied and obtained his master in sculpture, although, his current practice is entirely devoted to pen drawing on either paper or wood. Either bicolored or monochrome, the artist's typically limited chromatic palette gives room for an intense focus on detailed compositions, tonal gradients, and multiple perspectives. Kim’s background in sculpture is evident in the carved-like volumes of the elements in his drawings. Fine moire and cross-hatching are used for textures and shading in the drawn sections while the paper or wood is left fully exposed in other areas. Imaginary fauna and flora abound which contributes to a rather biomorphic aura to his work. All the while, indigenous, modern and futuristic architectural structures are erected and confuse any sense of fixed temporality. Rather, it projects us into a phantasmagorical universe where past, present and future collapse into one. Some perspectives are even skewed disrupting our contemplation. Totemic poles, origami-shaped creatures, and aquatic vegetation coexist fluidly in Kim’s oniric visions. His fine-detailed patterned dreamscapes engage the viewer actively; we are called upon to discover how do all the various entities interact over the multiple receding planes building up to Cheolyu's surrealist ecosystems. keywords; wood, pencil, rings, circles, moire, highly detailed, geometric abstraction, intentionally exposed support, line form and color, monochrome, curvilinear forms, Korean art, dynamism, contemporary minimalism, graphism, repetition, engaged with traditional Korean art...
Category

2010s Op Art

Materials

Birch, Wood Panel, Pen

Interferences cercles de couleurs
Located in Tbilisi, GE
Dood and serigraph; signed; framed Edition size: 15
Category

2010s Op Art

Materials

Wood

Asistype 4 - boule sur cercle
Located in Tbilisi, GE
Antonio Asis created a series of 20 Monotypes - all unique pieces; signed
Category

2010s Op Art

Materials

Steel

Dinamica Circolare 6 S+S
Located in Tbilisi, GE
Edition of 20 - Wood and turning circle - In mint condition - Executed in 2020; Hand-signed at the back
Category

1960s Op Art

Materials

Wood, Mixed Media

Interferences cercles rouge et blanc
Located in Tbilisi, GE
Wood and serigraph; signed Edition size: 15
Category

2010s Op Art

Materials

Wood, Mixed Media

Modern Green, White & Black Abstract Geometric Kimono Collagraph, Masterplate #1
Located in Soquel, CA
Unique mixed media work created from a Master plate for collagraph printmaking, featuring a bold and modern geometric kimono shape in green, white, and black, by Patricia A. Pearce (...
Category

1980s Op Art

Materials

Silk, Masonite, Ink, Acrylic, Gesso

KELEIDOSCOPE (DIMENSIONAL PIECES OF WOOD WITH MAGNETS)
Located in Aventura, FL
Original dimensional hand painted wood pieces with magnets attached to circular shaped wood giving illusion of movement.. Hand signed on front and verso by the artist. Artwork is in...
Category

Early 2000s Op Art

Materials

Wood, Acrylic

SPECTRUM (DIMENSIONAL HAND PAINTED WOOD)
Located in Aventura, FL
Original dimensional hand painted, custom cut and mounted wood. Hand signed on front and verso. Artwork is in excellent condition. Certificate of Authenticity included. All reason...
Category

Late 20th Century Op Art

Materials

Wood, Acrylic

Atmosphère Chromoplastique N.246 - Acrylic on Wood by L. Tomasello -
Located in Roma, IT
This great work is a part of the Collection ‘Atmosphères chromoplastiques’ which was realized by Tomasello in the mid-1970s, during his stay in Paris and at the very center of the OP...
Category

1970s Op Art

Materials

Wood, Acrylic

INFERNO (PAINTING ON WOOD)
Located in Aventura, FL
Original painting on wood giving 3D appearance. Hand signed on verso by the artist. Artwork is in excellent condition. Certificate of Authenticity i...
Category

Late 20th Century Op Art

Materials

Wood, Acrylic

"Radiator" Optical Art Contemporary Painting with Female Figure
Located in New York, NY
"Radiator is an evocative contemporary op art painting, depicting a female nude with bullseyes of color and graphic bursts. Emily Roz incorporates a complex palette of pastel colors with contrasting deep violets, reds and golden yellow oranges. The geometric patterns and forms create illusion and optical effects that distorts the background into multi-levels of angles and planes of color. The female figure's skin tone reflects and seems to radiate the glow from the vibrant red and yellow stripes and concentric circles, which reference op art and a 1970's sensibility. Emily Roz, "Radiator" acryla gouache on paper, 12 x 16 inches, 2020 Emily Roz (b. 1972, New Haven, CT) is a New York based artist. She has had multiple solo exhibitions at Front Room Gallery...
Category

2010s Op Art

Materials

Gouache, Archival Paper

SPRING (DIMENSIONAL PIECES OF WOOD WITH MAGNETS)
Located in Aventura, FL
Original dimensional hand painted wood pieces with magnets attached to square shaped wood giving illusion of movement.. Hand signed on front and verso by the artist. Artwork is in e...
Category

Early 2000s Op Art

Materials

Wood, Acrylic

DREAM WEAVER (DIMENSIONAL HAND PAINTED WOOD)
Located in Aventura, FL
Original dimensional hand painted, custom cut and mounted wood. Hand signed on verso. Artwork is in excellent condition. Certificate of Authenticity included. All reasonable offer...
Category

Late 20th Century Op Art

Materials

Wood, Acrylic

COSMOS (DIMENSIONAL PIECES OF WOOD)
Located in Aventura, FL
Original dimensional hand painted wood pieces attached to a square shaped wood giving illusion of movement. Hand signed on front and verso by the artist. Artwork is in excellent co...
Category

Early 2000s Op Art

Materials

Wood, Acrylic

Composition Gold
Located in Miami, FL
TECHNICAL INFORMATION: Victor Vasarely Composition Gold 1980 Screenprint 13 x 10 in. Edition of 50 Pencil signed and numbered Accompanied with COA by Gregg Shienbaum Fine Art. ...
Category

1980s Op Art

Materials

Screen

Galaxy V
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Roy Ahlgren, American (1927 - 2011) Title: Galaxy V Year: 1969 Medium: Silkscreen, signed in pencil Edition: AP Image Size: 17 x 17 inches Size: 20 x 20 in. (51.44 x 50...
Category

1960s Op Art

Materials

Screen

City of New York, Op Art Serigraph by Roy Ahlgren
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Roy Ahlgren, American (1927 - 2011) Title: City of New York Year: 1972 Medium: Silkscreen, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 50 Image Size: 20 x 26 inches Size: 23 x 29 ...
Category

1970s Op Art

Materials

Screen

"Busta" 38x50" illusion on canvas
Located in Southampton, NY
This illusionistic work on canvas titled "Busta" is a collaboration between two artists, Joe Doyle and Diane Rosenblum. The surface of the canvas is completely flat but a remarkable ...
Category

2010s Op Art

Materials

Canvas, Archival Ink, Pigment

Allegro, Op Art Serigraph by Roy Ahlgren
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Roy Ahlgren, American (1927 - 2011) Title: Allegro Year: 1986 Medium: Serigraph, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 23/100 Image Size: 18 x 25.5 inches Size: 22.5 x 30 in...
Category

1980s Op Art

Materials

Screen

LINEAR WEAVING (DIMENSIONAL HAND PAINTED WOOD)
Located in Aventura, FL
Original dimensional hand painted, custom cut and mounted wood. Hand signed on front and verso. Artwork is in excellent condition. Certificate of Authenticity included. All reason...
Category

Late 20th Century Op Art

Materials

Wood, Acrylic

Compounded Red
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Signed and numbered in pencil Publisher: Eugene Shuster, London Arts Printer: Vistec Graphics, Rochester, New York Stamp verso: London Arts Copyright 1980 Edition: 175 (85/175)
Category

1980s Op Art

Materials

Screen

CURVES (CIRCULAR PAINTING ON WOOD)
Located in Aventura, FL
Original painting on circular shaped wood. Hand signed on verso by the artist. Artwork is in excellent condition. Certificate of Authenticity included. All reasonable offers will ...
Category

Late 20th Century Op Art

Materials

Wood, Acrylic

Michael Dal Cerro, Interlinking Skyways, 2020, Linocut, Urban Landscape, Modern
Located in Darien, CT
Michael Dal Cerro's prints could be seen as imaginary architectural proposals. He takes satisfaction in taking something that is supposed to be exact...
Category

2010s Op Art

Materials

Ink, Archival Paper, Linocut

Michael Dal Cerro, Stepped Cubes, 2019, Linocut, Urban Landscape
Located in Darien, CT
Michael Dal Cerro's prints could be seen as imaginary architectural proposals. He takes satisfaction in taking something that is supposed to be exact...
Category

2010s Op Art

Materials

Ink, Archival Paper, Linocut

SPIRAL RAINBOW (CIRCULAR PAINTING ON WOOD)
Located in Aventura, FL
Original painting on circular shaped wood. Hand signed on front and verso by the artist. Artwork is in excellent condition. Certificate of Authenticity included. All reasonable of...
Category

Late 20th Century Op Art

Materials

Wood, Acrylic

PERSPECTIVE (CUSTOM WOOD PAINTING)
Located in Aventura, FL
Original painting on custom cut wood. Hand signed on verso by the artist. Artwork is in excellent condition. Certificate of Authenticity included. All reasonable offers will be co...
Category

Late 20th Century Op Art

Materials

Acrylic, Wood

BOX I (PAINTING ON WOOD)
Located in Aventura, FL
Original painting on wood giving appearance of 3D and movement. Hand signed on verso by the artist. Artwork is in excellent condition. Certificate of Authenticity included. All re...
Category

Late 20th Century Op Art

Materials

Wood, Acrylic

CUBED (DIMENSIONAL PIECES OF WOOD WITHMAGNETS)
Located in Aventura, FL
Original dimensional hand painted wood pieces with magnets attached to a hexagon shaped wood giving illusion of movement. Hand signed on front and verso by the artist. Artwork is i...
Category

Late 20th Century Op Art

Materials

Wood, Acrylic

David Roth, Abstract Screenprint, 1979
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

RANDOM VARIABLES II (DIMENSIONAL HAND PAINTED WOOD)
Located in Aventura, FL
Original dimensional hand painted, custom cut and mounted wood. Hand signed on front and verso. Artwork is in excellent condition. Certificate of Authenticity included. All reason...
Category

Late 20th Century Op Art

Materials

Wood, Acrylic

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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