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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
Wifredo Lam, The Horse Woman, from XXe siecle, 1979
Wifredo Lam, The Horse Woman, from XXe siecle, 1979

Wifredo Lam, The Horse Woman, from XXe siecle, 1979

By Wifredo Lam

Located in Southampton, NY

This exquisite lithograph by Wifredo Lam (1902–1982), titled La Femme Cheval (The Horse Woman), from the album XXe siecle, Numero special, Wifredo Lam, Nouvelle serie, XLIe Annee, No...

Category

1970s Op Art

Materials

Lithograph

Owl, Circa 1970 - Op Art-Inspired Geometric Composition
Owl, Circa 1970 - Op Art-Inspired Geometric Composition

Owl, Circa 1970 - Op Art-Inspired Geometric Composition

Located in Firenze, IT

Owl, Circa 1970 - Op Art-Inspired Geometric Composition Date: Approximately 1970 Medium: Gouache on cardboard with embossed stamp Dimensions: H 64 cm x W 49 cm approx. A stylized o...

Category

Late 20th Century Op Art

Materials

Gouache, Illustration Board, Cardboard

TR-UR, Victor Vasarely

TR-UR, Victor Vasarely

By Victor Vasarely

Located in Fairfield, CT

Artist: Victor Vasarely (1908-1997) Title: TR-UR Year: 1980 Medium: Silkscreen on Arches paper Edition: 116/250, plus proofs Size: 39.25 x 30.75 inches Condition: Good Inscription: S...

Category

1980s Op Art

Materials

Screen

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

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

FACE, from Portfolio 9m Classic 1960s Op Art lithograph signed/n renowned artist
FACE, from Portfolio 9m Classic 1960s Op Art lithograph signed/n renowned artist

FACE, from Portfolio 9m Classic 1960s Op Art lithograph signed/n renowned artist

By Henry Pearson

Located in New York, NY

Henry Pearson FACE, from Portfolio 9, 1964 Color lithograph with deckled edges Signed, titled, and numbered 84/100 in graphite pencil on the front; with publishers' blind stamp 17 1/2 × 22 1/10 inches Publisher Irwin Hollander, with blindstamp Hand Signed and Numbered 84/100 with Irwin Hollander (printer) Blindstamp Unframed Henry Pearson's iconic Pop Art lithograph "Face" from the mid-Sixties is in the permanent Collection of the Museum of Modern Art as well as other public institutions. This Classic Sixties psychedelic designed Op Art lithograph was created as part of the legendary 'Portfolio 9' in 1967 - one of the most influential eras in 20th century art. It was housed in a gray cloth-colored box with maroon paper inner panels and a large maroon "9" designed by Richard Lindner on the cover. Portfolio 9 featured nine of the most important artists of the era, representative of the three major trends: Pop Art, Minimalism and Abstract Expressionism: Roy Lichtenstein, Saul Steinberg, Richard Lindner, Robert Motherwell, Henry Pearson, Louise Nevelson, Sam Francis, Willem de Kooning- and Ellsworth Kelly. The Introduction to the portfolio was written by Una E. Johnson, Curator of Prints & Drawings, The Brooklyn Museum. Johnson wrote in 1967 for the colophon page: "The artists were selected to demonstrate the great diversity and character of lithography in the United States today... the dialogue of diverse forms and many faceted idioms that compose this graphic journal mirror the eloquence and delight the strengths and caprices of a period. Furthermore, they reflect in fine measure the creative achievements of artists attuned to their time." The lithograph offered here has superb provenance: it comes directly from 'Portfolio 9', numbered 84/100. This is the very first time since 1967 that this hand signed & numbered print will be separated from the original portfolio presentation box. According to the description of this print in the catalogue raisonne, "Organized as a celebration of Irwin Hollander's collaboration with American artists working in the medium of lithography, the Portfolio 9 is a compendium of images by nine of Hollander's artist collaborators. Henry Pearson Biography: Henry Pearson was born in Kinston, North Carolina in 1914. He studied art at the University of North Carolina where he received his B. A. and later at Yale University where he received an M. F. A. Pearson spent over eleven years in the army during and after WWII. On one tour of duty in Japan he was assigned to interpret topographical maps due to his past training in Theatrical Set Design. He returned to Japan on another tour after the war in order to immerse himself more fully in the culture. Pearson returned to the United States in 1953 and enrolled at the Art Students League in New York where he studied with Reginald Marsh. The Op-Art Movement was beginning to gain popularity and Pearson...

Category

1960s Op Art

Materials

Lithograph, Pencil

"Olympic Star" Large Scale Woman Surfer Figurative by Erle Loran
"Olympic Star" Large Scale Woman Surfer Figurative by Erle Loran

"Olympic Star" Large Scale Woman Surfer Figurative by Erle Loran

By Erle Loran

Located in Soquel, CA

"Olympic Star", Large Scale Woman Surfer Figurative by Erle Loran Vibrant hard edge painting of a surfer "Olympic Star," a bold and bright figurative piece by Erle Loran (American,...

Category

1960s Op Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic, Stretcher Bars

Desert Icon II
Desert Icon II

Desert Icon II

By Roy Ahlgren

Located in Fairlawn, OH

Desert Icon II Screen print, c. 1968 Signed, titled and numbered in pencil (see photos) Edition 100 (17/100) Printed by the artist This image is the most elaborate of three color var...

Category

1960s Op Art

Materials

Screen

TER-UR
TER-UR

Victor VasarelyTER-UR

$1,770Sale Price|40% Off

TER-UR

By Victor Vasarely

Located in Aventura, FL

Serigraph on paper. Hand signed and numbered by the artist. Sheet size 39 x 30 inches. Image size 24.25 x 24.25 inches. Custom framed as pictured. From the edition of 250. Additio...

Category

Late 20th Century Op Art

Materials

Paper, Screen

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

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

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

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

Untitled 8, Abstract Geometric Screenprint by David Roth
Untitled 8, Abstract Geometric Screenprint by David Roth

Untitled 8, Abstract Geometric 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

Relation Couleur
Relation Couleur

Relation Couleur

By Hugo Demarco

Located in New York, NY

Hugo Demarco Relation Couleur, 1973 Silkscreen on velincarton Hand signed and numbered 63/200 on lower front. Bears the publisher's blind stamp on the fro...

Category

1970s Op Art

Materials

Screen

Tri-Vega
Tri-Vega

Tri-Vega

By Victor Vasarely

Located in Miami, FL

TECHNICAL INFORMATION Victor Vasarely Tri-Vega 1975 Silkscreen on Arches paper 33 1/4 x 30 1/8 in. Edition of 250 Pencil signed & numbered Accompanied with COA by Gregg Sh...

Category

1970s Op Art

Materials

Screen

Op Art 1971 Kinetic Oil Painting Pop Art Artist
Op Art 1971 Kinetic Oil Painting Pop Art Artist

Op Art 1971 Kinetic Oil Painting Pop Art Artist

By Josef Levi

Located in Surfside, FL

Josef Alan Levi (1938) is an American artist whose works range over a number of different styles, but which are unified by certain themes consistently present among them. Josef Levi began his artistic career in the 1960s and early '70s, producing highly abstract and very modernist pieces: these employing exotic materials such as light fixtures and metallic parts. By 1975, Levy had transitioned to painting and drawing still lifes. At first these were, traditionally, of mundane subjects. Later, he would depict images from art history, including figures originally created by the Old Masters. Around 1980, he made another important shift, this time toward creating highly precise, though subtly altered reproductions of pairs of female faces which were originally produced by other artists. It is perhaps this work for which he is most well known. Since around 2000, Josef Levi has changed the style of his work yet again: now he works entirely with computers, using digital techniques to abstract greatly from art history, and also from other sources. Levi's works of art in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, NYC, the National Gallery of Art, and the Albright-Knox Museum, among many others. Levi's art has been featured on the cover of Harper's Magazine twice, once in June 1987, and once in May 1997. Josef Levi received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1959 from the University of Connecticut, where he majored in fine arts and minored in literature. From 1959 to 1960, he served to a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army, and from 1960 through 1967 he was in the U.S. Army Reserves. In 1966, he received the Purchase Award from the University of Illinois in 1966, and he was featured in New Talent U.S.A. by Art in America. He was an artist in residence at Appalachian State University in 1969, taught at Farleigh Dickenson University in 1971 and was a visiting professor of art at Pennsylvania State University in 1977. From 1975 to 2007, Levi resided in New York City. He now lives in an apartment in Rome, where he is able to paint with natural light as he was unable in New York. From 1959 to 1960, Josef took some courses of Howard McParlin Davis and Meyer Schapiro at Columbia University which initiated him into the techniques of reproducing the works of the Old Masters. His first works, created in the 1960s, were wood and stone sculptures of women. His first mature works were abstract pieces, constructed of electric lights and steel. In 1970, Levi's materials included fluorescent light bulbs, Rust-Oleum and perforated metal in addition to paint and canvas. By 1980, Josef Levi's art had transformed into a very specific form: a combination of reproductions of female faces which were originally depicted by other artists. The faces which he reproduces may be derived from either portraits or from small portions of much larger works; they are taken from paintings of the Old Masters, Japanese ukiyo-e, and 20th-century art. Artists from whom he has borrowed include: Vermeer, Rembrandt, Piero della Francesca, Botero, Matisse, Utamaro, Correggio, Da Vinci, Picasso, Chuck Close, Max Beckmann, Pisanello, Lichtenstein. The creation of these works is informed by Levi's knowledge and study of art history. Josef Levi's paintings from this period are drawn, then painted on fine linen canvas on wooden stretchers. The canvas is coated with twenty-five layers of gesso in order to produce a smooth surface on which to work. The drawing phase takes at least one month. Levi seals the drawing with acrylic varnish, and then he may apply layers of transparent acrylic in order to approximate the look of old paintings. After the last paint is applied, another layer of acrylic varnish is sprayed on to protect the work. Most of the figures in his contemporary pieces are not paired with any others. SELECTED COLLECTIONS MUSEUM OF MODERN ART, NEW YORK, NY ALBRIGHT- KNOX GALLERY, BUFFALO, NY ALDRICH MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART, RIDGEFIELD, CT NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART, WASHINGTON, DC BROOKLYN MUSEUM OF ART, BROOKLYN, NY SMITHSONIAN NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN HISTORY, WASHINGTON, DC CORCORAN GALLERY, WASHINGTON, DC UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME ART...

Category

1970s Op Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Victor Vasarely Screen Print Abstract, Geometric Squares Cubes Hexagon
Victor Vasarely Screen Print Abstract, Geometric Squares Cubes Hexagon

Victor Vasarely Screen Print Abstract, Geometric Squares Cubes Hexagon

By Victor Vasarely

Located in Detroit, MI

Victor Vasarely born in 1906 was a Hungarian-French artist, who is widely accepted as a "grandfather" and leader of the Op Art movement. Op Art is a form of abstract art that gives the illusion of movement by the precise use of pattern and color, or in which conflicting patterns emerge and overlap. Victor Vasarely and Brigit Riley are its most famous exponents. In its visual balancing act of color and movement from a flat plane to developed continuous flow “Untitled” is a complex arrangement of squares and colors that visually expand and contract. It is one of Vasarely’s most successful Op Art abstract works. The piece is signed on the lower right and number 20/150 on the lower left. The print is behind glass and matted. Vasarely was born in Pecs and grew up in Slovakia and Budapest, where in 1925, he took up medical studies. Abandoning medicine he turned to traditional academic painting at the private Podolini-Volkmann Academy. In 1928/1929, he enrolled at Sandor Bortnyik’s private art school widely recognized as Budapest's centre of Bauhaus studies. His studies concentrated on applied graphic art and typographical design. In 1929, he painted his Blue Study and Green Study. In 1930, he married his fellow student Claire Spinner (1908–1990). Together they had two sons, Andre and Jean-Pierre. Vasarely became a graphic designer and a poster artist during the 1930s combining patterns and organic images with each other. Vasarely utilized geometric shapes and colorful graphics, the artist created compelling illusions of spatial depth, as seen in his work Vega-Nor (1969). Vasarely’s method of painting borrowed from a range of influences, including Bauhaus design principles, Wassily Kandinsky, and Constructivism. In the late 1920s, Vasarely enrolled at the Muhely Academy in Budapest, where the syllabus was largely based on Walter Gropius’s Bauhaus school in Germany. After settling in Paris in 1930, Vasarely worked in advertising agencies to support himself as a graphic artist while creating many works including Zebra (1937), which is considered by some to be one of the earliest examples of Op Art. The artist experimented in a style based in Surrealism and Abstract Expressionism during the 1940s, before arriving at his hallmark checkerboard...

Category

Mid-20th Century Op Art

Materials

Paper, Screen

Energetic Influence (Cut-out, Collage, Black & White, Patterns, Negative Space)
Energetic Influence (Cut-out, Collage, Black & White, Patterns, Negative Space)

Energetic Influence (Cut-out, Collage, Black & White, Patterns, Negative Space)

Located in Kansas City, MO

Louise Marler Energetic Influence Archival Pigment Print Epson UltraChrome Archival Inks on White Metallic Archival Stock 2022 Edition: 10 Size: 20x16inches Signed and numbered by hand COA provided Ref.: 924802-1695 *Separate Edition of 10 in size 10x8in available. Please inquire within. ** Framing Options available. Please inquire within. Tags: Cut-out, collage, black and white, patterns, negative space, organic Louise Marler’s photo-based Mixed Media art, is iconic visual vocabulary. Au-thentic style has led to exhibits, art collections and events which integrate his-tory, education, and entertainment. Raised in a family that collected, sold and repaired typewriters. These and other analog, vintage machines are part of her personal history and led naturally to becoming part of the subject matter of her visual expression. Louise Marleris inspired by Americana and also influenced by pop art and technology. “I developed my unique art style in a Santa Monica Airport (former mechanic) hanger turned art studio. I currently live and work in St. Louis where antique row meets the most progressive art...

Category

2010s Op Art

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment

Wifredo Lam, Totem, from XXe siecle, 1979
Wifredo Lam, Totem, from XXe siecle, 1979

Wifredo Lam, Totem, from XXe siecle, 1979

By Wifredo Lam

Located in Southampton, NY

This exquisite lithograph by Wifredo Lam (1902–1982), titled Totem, from the album XXe siecle, Numero special, Wifredo Lam, Nouvelle serie, XLIe Annee, No. 52, originates from the 19...

Category

1970s Op Art

Materials

Lithograph

Thermal Inversion, Op Art Screenprint by Roy Ahlgren
Thermal Inversion, Op Art Screenprint by Roy Ahlgren

Thermal Inversion, Op Art Screenprint by Roy Ahlgren

By Roy Ahlgren

Located in Long Island City, NY

Artist: Roy Ahlgren, American (1927 - 2011) Title: Thermal Inversion Year: 1980 Medium: Serigraph, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 140 Image Size: 18 x 25 inches Size: 22 x 29...

Category

1980s Op Art

Materials

Screen

Inca, Op Art Screenprint by Roy Ahlgren
Inca, Op Art Screenprint by Roy Ahlgren

Inca, Op Art Screenprint by Roy Ahlgren

By Roy Ahlgren

Located in Long Island City, NY

Artist: Roy Ahlgren, American (1927 - 2011) Title: Inca Year: 1984 Medium: Screenprint, signed, numbered, titled, and dated in pencil Edition: 150 Size: 30 x 22 in. (76.2 x 55.88 cm)

Category

1970s Op Art

Materials

Screen

Rivotril, 1990
Rivotril, 1990

Rivotril, 1990

By Victor Vasarely

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

Inward Eye
Inward Eye

Inward Eye

By Richard Anuszkiewicz

Located in San Francisco, CA

This artwork titled "Inward Eye" 1970, is an original colors screen print by renown artist Richard Anuszkiewicz, 1930-2020. It is hand signed in pencil by the artist. The image size ...

Category

Late 20th Century Op Art

Materials

Screen

Relation Couleur
Relation Couleur

Relation Couleur

By Hugo Demarco

Located in New York, NY

Hugo Demarco Relation Couleur, 1973 Silkscreen on velincarton Hand signed and numbered 63/200 on lower front. Bears the publisher's blind stamp on the fro...

Category

1970s Op Art

Materials

Screen

Space Sounds no.3
Space Sounds no.3

Space Sounds no.3

By Evelyn B. Johnson

Located in Long Island City, NY

Space Sounds no.3 Evelyn B. Johnson Date: circa 1980 Screenprint, signed, numbered, and titled in pencil Edition of 7/25 Image Size: 28 x 21 inches Size: 30 x 22 in. (76.2 x 55.88 cm)

Category

1980s Op Art

Materials

Screen

Mirroire d'Artiste
Mirroire d'Artiste

Mirroire d'Artiste

By Jesús Rafael Soto

Located in Long Island City, NY

Artist: Jesus Rafael Soto, Venezuelan (1923 - 2005) Title: Mirroire d'Artiste Year: 2005 Medium: Mirrored Glass and Silkscreened Plexiglass Wall Sculpture, signature and number ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Op Art

Materials

Metal

David Roth, Abstract Screenprint, 1979
David Roth, Abstract Screenprint, 1979

David Roth, Abstract Screenprint, 1979

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

Richard Anuszkiewicz, Soft Blue
Richard Anuszkiewicz, Soft Blue

Richard Anuszkiewicz, Soft Blue

By Richard Anuszkiewicz

Located in Madrid, ES

RICHARD ANUSZKIEWICZ American, 1930 - 2020 SOFT BLUE signed, dated and numbered “© RICHARD ANUSZKIEWICZ / 1984 / 737” (on the reverse) acrylic on canvas 48 x 60 inches (122 x 152.5 c...

Category

1980s Op Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Laudis End
Laudis End

Laudis End

By Roy Ahlgren

Located in San Francisco, CA

This artwork titled "Laudis End" 1981 is a color serigraph on Wove paper by noted American artist Roy Ahlgren, 1927-2011 It is hand signed, titled, dated and numbered 90/99 in pencil...

Category

Mid-20th Century Op Art

Materials

Screen

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.