Jesús Rafael Soto More Prints
Venezuelan Op and kinetic painter and sculptor Jesús Rafael Soto (1923–2007) is perhaps best known for his immersive installations, which respond to their environments and physically absorb the viewer in a dynamic sensory experience.
The exploration of space is central to Soto’s work. This is evident in his early paintings, of the 1950s, which create the illusion of movement through simple compositions and a limited palette. During the same period, he integrated industrial materials like nylon and steel into linear constructions that were part painting, part sculpture.
But Rafael Soto’s grandest and most enigmatic creations are his “Pénétrables.” Made up of thousands of long clear or colored plastic strands suspended from the ceiling or from free-standing steel or PVC frames, these geometric sculptures play with the perception of space, inviting viewers to act as participants by moving within and through them.
The strips of some of the installations were partly painted, forming shapes when seen from a distance. The Houston Penetrable (2014), at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, for instance, appears to hold a floating yellow ellipse.
Rafael Soto created 25 “Pénétrables” over the course of his career. Each further blurred the line between reality and illusion and established viewers as not just spectators but as integral parts of the artwork itself.
Shop Jesús Rafael Soto's art now at 1stDibs.
21st Century and Contemporary Op Art Jesús Rafael Soto More Prints
Screen
1970s Pop Art Jesús Rafael Soto More Prints
Screen
1970s Op Art Jesús Rafael Soto More Prints
Offset, Lithograph
1970s Op Art Jesús Rafael Soto More Prints
Paper, Screen
1970s Pop Art Jesús Rafael Soto More Prints
Screen
2010s Street Art Jesús Rafael Soto More Prints
Screen
Mid-20th Century Abstract Jesús Rafael Soto More Prints
Screen
20th Century Op Art Jesús Rafael Soto More Prints
Screen, Lenticular
1980s Op Art Jesús Rafael Soto More Prints
Lithograph, Screen
1960s Pop Art Jesús Rafael Soto More Prints
Screen
Early 2000s Op Art Jesús Rafael Soto More Prints
Lithograph, Offset
1980s Op Art Jesús Rafael Soto More Prints
Lithograph, Screen
Mid-20th Century Op Art Jesús Rafael Soto More Prints
Screen
1990s Op Art Jesús Rafael Soto More Prints
Color, Screen
1990s Op Art Jesús Rafael Soto More Prints
Color, Screen
20th Century Jesús Rafael Soto More Prints
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Op Art Jesús Rafael Soto More Prints
Screen