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Yaacov Agam Paintings

Israeli, b. 1928

Influenced by his upbringing in Judaism as well as the teachings of the Bauhaus, Yaacov Agam is a pioneer of kinetic art as well as the Op art movement and is often credited with introducing geometric abstraction to his home country of Israel.

Born in Rishon LeZion, Palestine — now part of Israel — the son of a rabbi, Agam found that the spiritual world had a major influence on his art practice, as did the sand dunes he grew up watching as they constantly shifted with the wind. This perpetual movement would inform his work, whereby riveting, prismatic compositions that transform from different perspectives, patterns that generate optical effects and sculptures that move with a passing breeze all reflect the gradual changes in nature.

Agam studied with Israeli painter Mordecai Ardon at the Bezalel School of Art in Jerusalem in the 1940s before traveling to Zurich where he trained with Swiss Expressionist painter Johannes Itten and was inspired by the abstract work of Russian painter Wassily Kandinsky.

One of the innovative techniques Agam developed was the Agamograph, which uses lenticular printing so that multiple images, which are revealed as the viewer moves around the piece, can be seen on a single work. His art has regularly involved the spectator as a participant, whether it’s the 1972–74 room-size kinetic installation he created for the Elysée Palace that’s now in the Centre Pompidou in which a gleaming abstract sculpture is surrounded on all sides by polychromatic lines or it’s public art like the 1986 Fire and Water Fountain in Tel Aviv with circles of vibrant panels that offer varying colors from every angle.

In 2018, the Yaacov Agam Museum of Art opened in Rishon LeZion, showcasing six decades of Agam’s influential work that engages with perception through color, shape and form, from paintings, prints and installations to new experiments in interactive digital art.

Find a collection of Yaacov Agam art today on 1stDibs.

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Artist: Yaacov Agam
Love Star Of David (original gouache on paper)
Love Star Of David (original gouache on paper)

Love Star Of David (original gouache on paper)

By Yaacov Agam

Located in Aventura, FL

Original gouache painting on paper. Hand signed lower front by Yaacov Agam. Image size 20.25 x 18.5 inches. Sheet size 29 x 22.2 inches. Frame size approx 33 x 31 inches. Cert...

Category

1970s Abstract Yaacov Agam Paintings

Materials

Paper, Gouache

Yaacov Agam, Small EA nd, Original kinetic work, Acrylic on aluminium
Yaacov Agam, Small EA nd, Original kinetic work, Acrylic on aluminium

Yaacov Agam, Small EA nd, Original kinetic work, Acrylic on aluminium

By Yaacov Agam

Located in Tel Aviv, IL

Yaacov Agam, Original work, Acrylic on aluminium, 1989, Kinetic art, kinetic work, hand-painted, Israeli afrtist, Israeli art Dimensions (no frame): Height: 22 cm (8.66 in), Width: 2...

Category

Late 20th Century Kinetic Yaacov Agam Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Yaacov Agam, Fascination, Prismograph
Yaacov Agam, Fascination, Prismograph

Yaacov Agam, Fascination, Prismograph

By Yaacov Agam

Located in Tel Aviv, IL

Yaacov Agam,Fascination, Prismograph, Op art, Colored work, International artist, Israeli artist, Israeli art. Op art pioneer Yaacov Agam’s abstract artworks—which range from painti...

Category

Late 20th Century Op Art Yaacov Agam Paintings

Materials

Plywood

Yaacov Agam, Pace of Time, original work, Watercolor on paper, 1972, mini model
Yaacov Agam, Pace of Time, original work, Watercolor on paper, 1972, mini model

Yaacov Agam, Pace of Time, original work, Watercolor on paper, 1972, mini model

By Yaacov Agam

Located in Tel Aviv, IL

Yaacov Agam, Pace of Time, Original work, gouache on paper, International artist, Israeli artist, Israeli art. This work is installed in the main entrance of the Tel Aviv museum in a...

Category

20th Century Kinetic Yaacov Agam Paintings

Materials

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Colorful Kinetic original oil on wood round painting by Yaacov Agam
Colorful Kinetic original oil on wood round painting by Yaacov Agam

Colorful Kinetic original oil on wood round painting by Yaacov Agam

By Yaacov Agam

Located in Jerusalem, IL

This mesmerizing kinetic piece by Yaacov Agam exemplifies his pioneering approach to visual perception and movement. the work is constructed with a dynamic, circular structure that ...

Category

1970s Kinetic Yaacov Agam Paintings

Materials

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Image au Carre, Geometric Kinetic Painting by Yaacov Agam
Image au Carre, Geometric Kinetic Painting by Yaacov Agam

Image au Carre, Geometric Kinetic Painting by Yaacov Agam

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"Image au Carre" or "Square Image" is an original painting on linen mounted to wood by Israeli Kinetic artist, Yaacov Agam. The painting is signed, titled and dated verso and signed/...

Category

1990s Abstract Geometric Yaacov Agam Paintings

Materials

Wood, Acrylic

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Previously Available Items
LOVE STAR OF DAVID
LOVE STAR OF DAVID

LOVE STAR OF DAVID

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Located in Aventura, FL

Original gouache painting on paper. Hand signed lower front by Yaacov Agam. Image size 20.25 x 18.5 inches. Sheet size 29 x 22.2 inches. Frame size approx 33 x 31 inches. Cert...

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Colorful polymorph Yaacov Agam work 3D Kinetic art
Colorful polymorph Yaacov Agam work 3D Kinetic art

Colorful polymorph Yaacov Agam work 3D Kinetic art

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A colorful work in a kinetic style by Yaacov Agam. From every angle you can see a different illustration. The piece is framed in transparent Plexiglas

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Yaacov Agam, Fascination, Prismograph
Yaacov Agam, Fascination, Prismograph

Yaacov Agam, Fascination, Prismograph

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Yaacov Agam,Fascination, Prismograph, Op art, Colored work, International artist, Israeli artist, Israeli art. Op art pioneer Yaacov Agam’s abstract artworks—which range from paint...

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Original Op Art artwork serigraph (silkscreen print on paper) by Yaacov Agam titled "One and Another" from the same name collection. This fantasy optical illusion art by Agam, with m...

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Yaacov Agam paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Yaacov Agam paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Yaacov Agam in paint, gouache, paper and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the abstract style. Not every interior allows for large Yaacov Agam paintings, so small editions measuring 23 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Franklin Jonas, Arthur Boden, and Hans Gustav Burkhardt. Yaacov Agam paintings prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $45,500 and tops out at $57,000, while the average work can sell for $50,000.
Questions About Yaacov Agam Paintings
  • 1stDibs ExpertMay 14, 2024
    The style of art that Yaacov Agam created has varied over the course of his career. He is a pioneer of kinetic art as well as the Op art movement, and is often credited with introducing geometric abstraction to his home country of Israel. Some of his famous works include Double Metamorphosis, Star of David, Night Constellation and Grand Oeil Cosmique. Explore an assortment of Yaacov Agam art on 1stDibs.