Ten-Minute Art School Course Bridget Riley (b. 1931) Cataract 3, 1967 Red, turquoise and grey curves undulate across the canvas in a uniform sequence, evoking an illusionary sense of movement. The canvas seems distorted by the almost hallucinatory image, as its colours appear to vibrate with a dazzling intensity. This technique of exploring and exploiting the fallibility of the eye provokes a powerful sensation on the spectator. The painting’s connection with the Op Art movement is apparent in the interplay of colour and lines which produces a stunning, shimmering optical illusion. Riley’s aims go beyond the merely scientific, however. She sees the elements she uses as being as much a part of nature as are trees, clouds and hills. More than a sum of their formal and colouristic parts, her paintings vibrate with a magical lyricism. Riley’s first paintings, in the early 1960s, were almost all in black and white. Her work has developed dramatically over the years and she has recently tended to paint straight parallel lines in intense colours. [courtesy of The Art Book]

Ten-Minute Art School Course

Bridget Riley (b. 1931)

Cataract 3, 1967

Red, turquoise and grey curves undulate across the canvas in a uniform sequence, evoking an illusionary sense of movement. The canvas seems distorted by the almost hallucinatory image, as its colours appear to vibrate with a dazzling intensity. This technique of exploring and exploiting the fallibility of the eye provokes a powerful sensation on the spectator. The painting’s connection with the Op Art movement is apparent in the interplay of colour and lines which produces a stunning, shimmering optical illusion. Riley’s aims go beyond the merely scientific, however. She sees the elements she uses as being as much a part of nature as are trees, clouds and hills. More than a sum of their formal and colouristic parts, her paintings vibrate with a magical lyricism. Riley’s first paintings, in the early 1960s, were almost all in black and white. Her work has developed dramatically over the years and she has recently tended to paint straight parallel lines in intense colours.

[courtesy of The Art Book]

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