Alexander Kovac
20th Century Op Art Abstract Prints
Screen
20th Century Op Art Abstract Paintings
Mixed Media
1970s Op Art Abstract Paintings
Metal, Enamel
People Also Browsed
1960s Op Art Abstract Paintings
Acrylic, Panel
1970s Abstract Geometric Abstract Prints
Screen
1970s Abstract Abstract Prints
Screen
20th Century German Bauhaus Posters
Paper
Late 20th Century Abstract Sculptures
Metal
1970s Abstract Geometric Abstract Prints
Paper, Ink, Lithograph
Mid-20th Century Abstract Expressionist Abstract Sculptures
Metal
1970s Modern Figurative Prints
Engraving
1960s Op Art Abstract Sculptures
Plexiglass, Screen
2010s Op Art Abstract Prints
Archival Paper, Archival Pigment
1980s Abstract Geometric Abstract Prints
Lithograph, Screen
1970s Op Art Prints and Multiples
Screen
1970s Abstract Abstract Prints
Lithograph
1980s Op Art Abstract Sculptures
Wood, Acrylic
Late 20th Century Prints
Paper
1980s Op Art Abstract Prints
Lithograph, Screen
Recent Sales
Vintage 1950s Paintings
20th Century Op Art Abstract Prints
Screen
20th Century Op Art Abstract Paintings
Mixed Media
1960s Op Art Mixed Media
Metal
20th Century Op Art Abstract Paintings
Metal
Victor Vasarely for sale on 1stDibs
Widely considered the grandfather of Op art, the French-Hungarian painter Victor Vasarely (1906–97) created eye-popping geometric abstractions that play with the viewer’s perception of depth, perspective and motion. A classic example is the 1937 Zebra, which consists of undulating black and white stripes that suggest the form of the titular animal through optical trickery. The work is often credited as the earliest Op art painting.
Such illusions were more than pleasing tricks for Vasarely, who insisted that “pure form and pure color can signify the world.” He wanted to “democratize” art by producing works in large editions at reasonable prices that were understandable across national and cultural boundaries. In the 1960s, he developed an alphabet plastique, or fine art alphabet, consisting of elementary visual building blocks that could be used in endless combinations to create original compositions. By employing this universal visual vocabulary and stripping away topical references, he sought to create what he called a “Planetary Folklore.”
Embodying Vasarely’s singular belief that art should serve a social function, accessible to all, these innovations may perhaps be his greatest contribution to 20th-century art.
Find a collection of Victor Vasarely prints, paintings, sculptures and other art on 1stDibs.
A Close Look at op-art Art
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.